Squire Boys Defeat Wabash In First Round
03 Jan 2008

Some teams live and die by the three pointer.† Friday night, the Manchester Squires were living all night long.†
Senior Dan Bourne was 5-8 from behind the arch, while classmate Spenser Penrod went 3-6 from three point range to lead the Squires to a 63-42 win over the Wabash Apaches in the opening game of the Wabash County Tournament.
“We got some big shots from both Dan Bourne and Spenser Penrod,” Manchester coach Gary Goshert said.† “They were both feeling it, and that was a big boost for us.”
“Bourne has been killing us for three years,” Wabash coach Matt Stone said.† “Penrod also had a really nice game for them.”
The Squires advanced to the championship game against Northfield with the win.
Nolan Holloway got things going for the Squires early, hitting Manchester’s first two baskets, on assists from Bourne and Aaron Medley.
Niko Macaluso made it 4-3 with a three pointer, followed by David Cable hitting from 10 feet to make it 6-3.
Greg Henderson scored inside for the Apaches to cut the lead to 6-5, but the Squires ended the first quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 14-5 lead.†
Cornelius Cuffy scored on an offensive rebound put back, and Penrod and Bourne hit back to back there pointers to take the nine point lead.
Penrod made it an 11 point lead with a three pointer midway through the second quarter, but Wabash fought back with an 8-2 run to cut the lead to 21-16.
Bourne answered, however, with a three pointer with 1:25 left in the half for a 24-16 halftime lead.
“Wabash did†a good job of getting back into the game by going inside, almost exclusively in the second quarter,” Goshert said.† “We focused on doing the same thing at halftime.† We didn’t shoot a free throw in the first half, and we challenged our guys to attack the basket.”
The Squires hit 9-12 from the line in the second half.
The Apaches were able to cut the lead to 30-27 with an 8-3 run, but Bourne and Cornelius Cuffy answered right back, combining for the next 14 points to take a commanding 44-27 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Bourne hit two straight three pointer, followed by a basket and a free throw from Cuffy to make it 39-27.†
Bourne hit another three with 39 seconds left, and Cuffy found the basket at the buzzer on a pass from Holloway.†
“Cornelius is really coming into his own,” Goshert said.† “He started the season off a little slow, but he is understanding what we are trying to do, and he is much more comfortable on the basketball floor.”
Stone felt the Squire 14-0 run was the turning point as well.
“We did a great job cutting their lead, and when we got it to 30-27, I really liked our chances,” Stone said.† “I told the guys in the locker room that this game was lost Monday through Thursday.† We haven’t been practicing at game speed, and that is going to affect any team.† I tip my hat to Manchester.† They played a good game.”
The Squires were able to maintain their lead throughout the fourth quarter, never letting the Apaches get any closer than 14 points, then hit free throws down the stretch.
“I really liked our effort tonight,” Goshert said.† “I’d still like to see us be a little more patient on offense, and not just chuck up the first open shot we have.† But, we did some good things offensively, and we played some really good defense.† I think we only allowed a few offensive rebounds, and some of them were late in the game. We need to carry that type of play into tomorrow night.”
Bourne led the Squires with 22 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.† Cuffy had nine points and five rebounds, Penrod had nine points, Medley had seven points and six rebounds, Holloway had six points, four steals, three rebounds, and three assists, Cable had five points and seven rebounds, Ian Pattison had three points, three assists, and two rebounds, and Jon Walker had two points.