GREENVILLE – The Greenville eighth grade boys basketball team defeated Tri-Village in a come-from-behind 45-44 victory.
“Everybody did a good job,” Greenville eighth grade boys basketball coach Jim Gable said. “It was a team effort.”
The Wave opened scoring on the day with two Isaiah Gable free throws for a 2-0 lead.
Tri-Village scored nine unanswered points to take a 9-2 lead at 4:02.
With the Patriots up 14-8, Gable hit a bucket, just beating the buzzer to close the first quarter with T-V leading 14-10.
The Patriots opened second quarter play jumping out to an 18-10 lead on a bucket from John Wilson and two free throws by Gavin Richards.
A Gable trey for the Wave, a bucket by Hoblit for T-V, a basket from Gable and a Greenville score by Kyle Phillips off a steal had the Wave cutting into the Patriots lead, 20-17.
Tri-Village scored eight unanswered points to take a double-digit lead at 28-17.
Back-to-back Gable baskets cut the T-V lead to 28-21 with 0:35 to play in the first half.
Wilson closed out the first half scoring, connecting on a free throw for T-V and a 29-21 halftime lead.
“I challenged them a halftime,” coach Gable said. “We were down eight.”
The Wave opened third quarter play with a bucket from Gable and making good on a free throw, followed by a bucket from A. J. Frens, cutting the Patriots’ lead to 29-26 and bringing a T-V time out at 5:09.
At 3:17 Gable scored for Greenville followed by a Richards Tri-Village free throw and a 30-28 Patriots lead.
Tri-Village was whistled for a technical foul at 1:30, sending Gable to the line. He sank both free throws, tying the game at 30-30.
A Gable field goal gave the Green Wave a 32-30 lead at 0:33.
Richards answered with a trey to send the teams to fourth quarter play with Tri-Village hanging onto a slim 33-32 lead.
The Patriots opened the final period of play on a 7-0 run and a 10-point 42-32 lead with just under four minutes to play.
Greenville stepped up its full-court press, outscoring Tri-Village 13-0 to take a 45-42 lead.
“We went a man-to-man press. Caught them a little bit off guard,” coach Gable said. “They were wore out, and we took advantage of that down the stretch.”
The Wave got their scoring from a free throw by Aaron Rich, a bucket from Frens, a steal and basket from Gable, a steal and bucket by Trae Wood, a Frens basket and a steal and basket by Phillips, giving the lead to the Wave, 43-42, followed by two Gable free throws and a 45-42 Greenville lead with 0:25 to play.
“They were fresh (Trae Wood and Devin Hendrix off the bench). They are our defensive-specialist as far as man-to-man pressure,” coach Gable said. “They are quick. One had a steal and lay-up. One had a steal and pushed it ahead for a lay-up. Isaiah got a steal.”
A sticky man-to-man Wave defense shut down any opportunity for the Patriots to get off a 3-pointer for a tie. With 0:02 T-V scored an unattested lay-up for a 45-44 Greenville win.
Tri-Village seventh grade boys basketball team defeated the Wave seventh graders 34-20 in the first game of the day.