Next: vs. Wawasee, 6 p.m. Friday
BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
Blain Sheetz Stephen Akase
Boys basketball
Tippecanoe Valley 40, West Noble 36 (Tuesday): Blain Sheetz scored 19 points, and Stephen Akase hit two free throws in the fourth quarter as part of a 10-point night as the Vikings beat West Noble in a Class 3A, Sectional 20 quarterfinal at NorthWood Tuesday.
DeOndre Hamilton added eight points, and Davis Cowan hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter.
Ian Cooksey, Valley’s leading scorer at 15.1 points per game, was held scoreless.
Nolan Kelly led West Noble (8-15) with 17 points. Aiden Replogle added eight.
Valley improved to 19-5. The 19 wins are their most since the 2012-13 season.
Valley led 24-19 at halftime. West Noble trimmed the deficit to 34-30 after three quarters.
Sheetz hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first half, and he had both of Valley’s field goals in the fourth quarter.
Sheetz’s total was his second most in a game. He had 20 against Cascade in a holiday tournament game at Switzerland County Dec. 27.
Valley will play Wawasee (6-16) in a semifinal at 6 p.m. Friday at the Panther Pit. Wawasee, who received a bye, comes into the postseason on a five-game losing streak.
VALLEY (40) (19-5)
Davis Cowan 1 0-2 3, Ian Cooksey 0 0-0 0, DeOndre Hamilton 4 0-0 8, Blain Sheetz 8 1-1 19, Stephen Akase 4 2-3 10, Owen Omondi 0 0-0 0, William Mellott 0 0-0 0, Tristyn Ragon 0 0-0 0
TEAM: 17 3-6 40
WEST NOBLE (36) (8-15)
Kelly 7 1-2 17, Replogle 3 1-2 8, Mast 0 0-0 0, Burns 0 0-0 0, J. Eash 2 2-2 6, Steele 2 1-3 5
TEAM: 14 5-9 36
Three-point field goals:
Valley 3 (Sheetz 2, Cowan),
West Noble 3 (Kelly 2, Replogle)
Total fouls: Valley 12, West Noble 13
Score by quarters
Valley 13 11 10 6 – 40
West Noble 7 12 11 6 – 36
Comments