Veteran Freddies pass test; knock off Danville, 72-49

After winning the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference title the last three years, the Fredericktown boys’ basketball players knew they a large bull’s-eye on their backs again this season. They had risen to every challenge so far, but they were set to take on an upstart Danville squad that came into Friday night’s game riding an eight-game win streak.

The Freddies also faced a hostile Danville crowd that had filled the gym before the jayvee game even started.

But, none of that mattered. The experienced Freddies took control with a strong run in the second quarter and went on to beat the Blue Devils, 72-49, and put themselves in the driver’s seat for another KMAC crown.

“The biggest thing is you come into a hostile environment and you’re able to hold your composure,” said Fredericktown coach Derek Dibling. “That was a great crowd. These are the kind of games that make high school sports special. There’s nothing like going into an opponent’s gym, having the league title on the line, and having guys playing well and playing together.”

The game started out just like the crowd — full of energy and both teams rode the roller coaster of momentum swings. But, the experience and maturity of a senior-led Freddie squad took over in the second period, breaking the doors wide open.

Thanks to a stifling defense, the Freddies (14-0 overall, 10-0 KMAC) went on a 7-0 run to begin the second quarter turned a four-point lead into 11, which they never relinquished.

“We had some turnovers. If you can get quick buckets, and then get right back on defense, that’s how you get momentum,” said Danville coach Matt Proper. “I felt like it at that point – I think (Blake) Sipes had back to back fast break layups – right then, that’s when it kind of shifted. It kind of got away from us a little bit and we couldn’t quite get it back. You’ve got to respond, we just didn’t quite respond.”

That defense and some solid minutes from its bench gave the Freddies everything it needed to get out of Danville with the victory, according to Dibling.

“I felt like the game started with a torrid pace. I felt like we’re pretty well conditioned, but we were tested; we had guys in foul trouble,” Dibling said. “Our bench was huge. Those guys stepped up and played really valuable minutes, really meaningful minutes and we didn’t see a drop off. It was seamless, guys running in and out. We collectively played pretty well.

“I think guys just did a good job of taking advantage of rotations and finding opportunities to trap and speed them up. That was kind of one of the points of emphasis. Guys did a great job in film session the other day and focused in on what we needed to do.”

Trailing by 14 at halftime, the Blue Devils (13-3, 9-2) tried to make a comeback, but Fredericktown had every answer and cruised home with the victory.

The win set the Freddies on the path to winning their second-straight KMAC title, as they lead by two games with just four to play. While there is plenty of talent in Dibling’s cabinet, he’s glad his team still works on doing the little things correctly before focusing on the big picture.

“It’s about the little things. We harass these guys constantly about doing the little things. If you do things the right way, the rest seems to take care of itself. It’s the little things and taking care of those things, we can actually manage the things that are in our control,” he said.

The Freddies had four players in double figures, led by Gavin Toombs’ 19 points on 7 of 11 shooting. Toombs also pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds. Zane Luckmeier and Carson Rinehart each scored 15 points, with Luckmeier also pulling down six rebounds and Rinehart dishing out four assists. Blake Sipes added 13 points and five assists.

The Devils were playing their first meaningful conference game this late in the season since 2018 when they finished second to Northmor. While the nerves may have gotten to them a bit, Proper feels this was a good learning experience and will help his team down the road.

It’s one of those games, hopefully, we learned from. It’s our first big game – a full gym, the energy, you’ve got to learn to play in those. It’s tough. That group (Fredericktown) has been there and done that,” Proper said. “It’s something we’ve got to learn from and hopefully, respond. We’ve got Northmor on Tuesday (Jan. 27), so we’ll see what we’re made of.

“I think it’s just staying within what we’re trying to accomplish. I think we kind of got a little desperate, a little panicky (Friday). You see the scoreboard and think it’s starting to get away from you a little bit, so you start to panic; start to be a little desperate so maybe you get out of position on defense; take some shots that aren’t really our shots. So, just learn from that. Stay with the plan. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

Danville was led by Ashton Spaulding, who scored 15 points while pulling down five rebounds. Aidan Mickley added 12 points, while Parker Proper had nine points, six rebounds and two assists.