A trio of Lima Central Catholic players, Billy Bourk left), Carson Parker (middle) and Michael Taflinger try to keep the loose ball from Shawnee’s Dominic Lynch at Shawnee High School Wednesday.
Jose Nogueras | The Lima News
SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP – Shawnee’s Austin Miller has had that look in his eyes during a big soccer match.
On Wednesday, he went into that same zone on the basketball court.
Miller, a state champion in soccer, scored 27 and had the game-winning free throw to lift Shawnee to a 73-72 victory over Lima Central Catholic in a boys basketball game Wednesday at Lappin Gymnasium.
“Getting Carson (Parker) and Billy (Bourk) in foul trouble played to our advantage,” Miller said. “And after a horrible first half, coach (Mark Triplett) challenged us and everyone came out and responded, positively.
“It was a completely different ballgame (in the second half).’’
LCC is 3-3. Shawnee, which has won six in a row, is 6-4.
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“We challenged our guys at halftime,” Triplett said. “We have a great crowd and we were going to play like this? And in two minutes and 47 seconds I the third quarter, we cut it from 13 to six. Now, you’re in a dogfight.’’
LCC led 72-69 with 43 seconds left.
Shawnee came down and Toby Freiberger missed a 3-pointer. Dominic Lynch grabbed the offensive rebound under the basket and fed the ball to a wide-open Miller at the 3-point line.
Miller drilled the 3-pointer to tie the game at 72 with 31 seconds to play.
“Dom came out of nowhere with that rebound,” Miller said.
LCC missed a shot with 10 seconds left, but Lynch grabbed the defensive rebound.
Miller flew down court and was fouled near the basket with less than a second left.
Miller made one of two foul shots to post a 73-72 win.
Miller scored 18 of his 27 points in the second half. He also had nine rebounds.
“Miller ran up and down the floor and got buckets,” LCC coach Frank Kill said. “And he hit the biggest three of the night, coming off an offensive rebound.
“We played extremely well for 16 minutes, but we’re not playing 32 minutes of basketball.’’
Will McBride added 18 points. Freiberger scored 11.
LCC freshman point guard Willie Foster led LCC with 22 points.
Parker Judy scored 15. Billy Bourk had 12 points and eight rebounds.
Carson Parker had nine points and seven rebounds.
LCC led 37-24 at the half, but the T-Birds were in foul trouble.
So Miller came out in the third quarter and went right at the rim.
Miller scored 11 points in the third quarter, all on driving layups.
“I know getting to the rim is one I can play to,” Miller said.
Shawnee started the third with an 11-4 run to get within 41-35.
With 4:31 left in the third, it was 41-37, LCC.
When Miller hit a 3-pointer at the 1:35 mark in the game, it was tied at 47.
It was close the rest of the way
Foster started the game off with a top of the key-to-the-basket driving layup and the T-Birds were on their way early.
LCC jumped out to an 11-4 lead and led 21-10 at the end of the first quarter.
The T-Birds led 37-24 at the half, with Foster leading the way with 11 points.
Miller had nine points for Shawnee.
But LCC’s Matt Quatman, Parker and Bourk all picked up their second foul in the first quarter.
That had LCC playing a 3-2 zone for the second half of the second quarter.
With the usual scoring T-Birds in foul trouble, Judy had nine points in the second quarter.
