Late Elkhart Rally Falls Short
Monday, February 6th, 2012
ELKHART – With playoff position on the line, the Elkhart Elks welcomed the Frankston Indians to town in a huge showdown between the two teams. Jeffery Wilson scored 18 points as the Elks jumped out to a big lead, only to see the Indians storm back and steal the pivotal win.
The Elks couldn’t have asked for a better start behind the play of Luke Hollingsworth. Elkhart jumped out to a 10-2 lead, and lead 14-4 at one point late in the first quarter. Frankston struggled behind an electric Elkhart crowd. That crowd would push the Elks to a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
That would be a short lived lead as Frankston would quiet the crowd with a 10-0 run to open the second half. The Indians would capture the lead, and never gave it up, as they dominated the second quarter, while the Elks offense went silent. Frankston would outscore Elkhart 24-8 in the second quarter, as the Elks saw their 14-7 lead turn into a 31-26 deficit.
The Elks offense continued to struggle in the third quarter, putting up just nine points, but Elkhart was able to slow down the Indians offense. Elkhart would hold Frankston to just 13 points in the third quarter, allowing the Indians to increase their lead to only nine going into the fourth quarter.
Trailing 44-37 going into the fourth quarter, Frankston would start the quarter off hot, pushing their lead to double-digits early. Elkhart would respond behind the play of Wilson and Jacob Cheatham. The duo would help the Elks surge back into the game, cutting the deficit to four late in the game. Frankston would have just enough gas in the tank to seal the 60-51 win from the free throw line, and take a two game lead in the race for third place.
Wilson would lead the Elks with 18 points on the night including a big trey early to help ignite the Elks offense. Cheatham would add 12 points with a trey as the junior guard played a pivotal role in the Elks late comeback attempt.
Hollingsworth and Jordan White would score six points apiece for the Elks in a strong showing for both players. Frankston would limit Elkhart sharpshooter Cole Bridges to just four points, while Jared Hamm would add three points.
The loss drops the Elks to 4-4 in district play with four games remaining on the schedule. Elkhart hit the road on Friday to face the Winona Wildcats (0-9). Elkhart dominated the Wildcats in a 65-25 win during the first half of district play.
Elkhart will return home on Tuesday, February 7 when the West Rusk Raiders (3-5) come to town looking to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Raiders shocked Elkhart 49-48 on a last second three-pointer during the first half of district play, delivering a huge blow to the Elks playoff hopes.
For a complete recap of the Elks road showdown against Winona, as well as other area basketball news, check back in The Messenger. Also follow The Messenger on Facebook and check out our website at www.messenger-news.com. Chris Boothe can be reached at cboothe@messenger-news.com.
