With leading scorer Luke Griffith sidelined with an injury – the Southern Local Indians needed someone to step up and fill the void Tuesday night in Leetonia. In his first career Varsity start, Southern junior guard Dylan Ketchum was up to the task, scoring 17 of his 21 points in the first half to lead the Indians to a 58-53 win.
Both teams came out firing in the first, playing to a 17-17 tie. Leetonia’s senior forward Cody Stokes impressed with 12 points in the first quarter alone. Southern would go on a run in the second frame, led by the hot shooting hand of Ketchum who closed out the first half a perfect 5-for-5 from downtown (4-4 in the quarter). The Indians took a 39-27 lead into halftime.
After giving up too many long balls in a zone in the first half, the Bears switched to a man defense in the second half and slowed the Indians scoring attack in the third quarter. Both teams would trade baskets throughout, ending with a 50-36 lead for the Indians.
The Bears would not go quietly in the fourth. Despite a 14 point deficit to start the final frame, Leetonia would use a flurry of baskets in the next six minutes to close the gap to two, 53-51, with just 2:07 remaining in the game. But the Southern defense would come back to life in the final minutes, holding the Bears without a basket until the final seconds, and holding on for the 58-53 victory.
Stokes led the Bears with 21 points on the night (15 in the first half). Ian Sevenich added 14.
JJ Napierkowski had 12 points and 9 assists for the Indians, while Damin Beadnell contributed 12 points and 5 steals. Ketchum finished the night 5-of-6 on three-point-attempts.
Southern (8-4) will look to avenge an early-season loss at Western Reserve when they host the Blue Devils in Salineville. Leetonia (4-9) will travel to Wellsville.
Southern also won the jayvee game.
