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Nevada boys drop tourney opener
By Jason Peake
Daily Mail Sports Editor
HARRISONVILLE -- With several key performers out of the lineup, the Nevada High School boys basketball team just didn't have enough firepower to keep up with Kansas City Center.
With a height advantage inside and a quickness advantage on the perimeter, Center raced past short-handed Nevada 83-49 in a first round contest of the 2011 Harrisonville Holiday Tournament on Monday night at the jam-packed HHS Auxiliary Gym.
Nevada played without five key players, as Drew Bryson, Silas Smith, Isaiah Colopy and Jamin Brandt missed the game due to disciplinary reasons. At the same time, Grant Wolfe has not yet been cleared to play after hitting his head last week against Girard.
"It was a difficult matchup with us being under-manned the way we were," Nevada Coach John McNeley said.
A lack of rebounding and an abundance of turnovers doomed the Tigers. The much-taller Yellowjackets dominated the boards, getting second and third opportunities inside. And the speedy Jackets also forced Nevada into 31 turnovers for the game, often racing the other way for layups after steals.
"We turned the ball over and we didn't block out well," McNeley said. "We didn't compete on the glass, and we knew they would hurt us if we didn't. A lot of times they were able to shoot it until they made it. And offensively, you can't control their athleticism, but we have to be tougher with the basketball. We needed to block out better and also needed to take better care of the basketball."
Center pressed full court from the start and Nevada turned the ball over 10 times in the first quarter. Still, the Yellowjackets' lead was just 16-8 after one quarter.
Center got several putbacks inside and also converted steals into layups in the second quarter.
The Tigers trailed 39-23 at halftime.
Center's lead reached 20 points halfway through the third period.
The Yellowjackets got hot from the outside and extended the lead to 66-38 entering the fourth quarter.
The Tigers didn't quit, but the outcome was never in doubt. McNeley was able to get several JV players some varsity time.
McNeley gave Center credit after the loss.
"They were able to beat us down the floor and they're good finishers," McNeley said. "They really hurt us in three big areas. One was the offensive boards. The other was in transition. And they also shot it really well. But people are going to make them if you're not out there guarding them."
With the loss, the Tigers slip to 3-4 on the season.
Senior Bubba Banes led Nevada with 13 points, while Joseph Ferry and Austin Herdliska added nine points apiece.
Nevada will take on Drexel tonight at 8 p.m. at the tourney. Platte County beat Drexel 72-51 on Monday night. In another first round game, Butler nipped Cameron 34-33. The late first round game featured Harrisonville vs. Summit Christian.
Nevada will be back at the tourney on Wednesday, as well.
Notes: Once he's medically cleared, Wolfe will also have to sit out one game for disciplinary reasons. The others will be available tonight.
KC Center 83, Nevada 49
NE 8 15 15 11 -- 49
CE 16 23 27 17 -- 83
Nevada: Bubba Banes 13, Lane Ketterman 4, Joseph Ferry 9, Nathan Colopy 7, Alex Payne 5, Cory Kerbs 2, Austin Herdliska 9. Totals 15 (4) 7-13 49. Three-pointers: Herdliska 3, Ferry 1. Turnovers 31.
KC Center: Babalola 17, Canty 14, Henson 10, Stephenson 12, Ru. Hill 3, Denson 6, Ro. Hill 5, Williams 12, Johnson 1, McCoy 2, Allen 1. Three-pointers: Canty 3, Babalola 1, Ro. Hill 1. Turnovers 14.