News / Sports / Prep Sports

Boys basketball: Evergreen 68, Battle Ground 66 (video)

The Columbian

Published: January 15, 2016, 10:59pm

Dustin Nettles made a difficult runner at the buzzer Friday to lift the Evergreen Plainsmen to a 68-66 win over visiting Battle Ground in a Class 4A Greater St. Helens League boys basketball game.

The winning basket came after Evergreen blocked a Battle Ground shot with time running out. The Plainsmen collected the rebound and made two quick passes set up the chance for Nettles, who took one dribble inside the 3-point line and took the shot while hanging in the air.

The dramatic finish improves Evergreen to 4-1 in league play and 8-4 overall. Battle Ground fell to 2-4, 6-8 overall.

Evergreen coach Brian Witherspoon said an emphasis on defense allowed the Plainsmen to claw back from a seven-point halftime deficit.

Battle Ground led 45-38 at halftime after scoring 27 points in the second quarter, when Kyle Cahoon made four of his five 3-pointers. The Tigers were held to 21 points after halftime and only nine points in the fourth quarter.

“In the second half we played half-court, grind-it-out defense,” Witherspoon said.

Witherspoon pointed to the defense and rebounding of Elon Freeman-Jackson as one of the keys to the second half surge. He added that John Hansberry played strong defensively off the bench for the Plainsmen.

Tyrus Hosley led Evergreen with 17 points, Payton Monda scored 15 and Greg Washington 13. Hosley and Monda each hit a big 3-pointer in the final quarter.

Cahoon led Battle Ground with 17 points but scored only two in the second half. Kellen Butler had 13 points and Dealon Floyd 10 for the Tigers,

EVERGREEN 68, BATTLE GROUND 66

BATTLE GROUND — Kobe Ford 6, Kellen Butler 13, Landon Hall 6, Eddie Perez 4, Cole Grossman 5, Renato Mendoza 5, Kyle Cahoon 17, Daelon Floyd 10. Totals 26 (9) 5-8 66.

EVERGREEN — Payton Monda 15, John Hansberry 9, Tyrus Hosley 17, Elon Freeman-Jackson 2, Greg Washington 13, Shawn Johnson Jr. 6, Dustin Nettles 6. Totals 26 (12) 4-10 68.

BatGround 18 27 12 9–66

Evergreen 21 17 17 13–68

JV — Evergreen won. C — Battle Ground won.

Related Stories