by CJ Blaskowski and Noah Duran
19 Jan 2016
What Happened: The Eaton Reds boys basketball team (10-1, 7-1 Patriot) defeated the Strasburg Indians (7-2, 4-2 Patriot) 80-77 at Eaton High School, Friday night Jan. 15. The game went into overtime and a Junior from Strasburg, Connor Martin, scored 44 points. The game was another wild one for the Reds at home. The game against Brush on Jan 8, went down to the last second. A game where the Reds did not lead until late in the fourth quarter. A deja vu feeling was in the gym for Eaton fans, except this one needed an extra four minute period to decide it. Again, like the Brush game, the Reds came out anxious and impatient. The game was an insta-Patriot League-classic.
By the Numbers: According to MaxPreps, the Reds are ranked 27 in the state in all classifications, (rankings) Jared Foss (16) of Eaton, had 29 points in the game; only nine in the first half. Connor Martin a Strasburg junior, had a 31 point first half, and 44 at the end of the classic game. Jaxon Hobbs (17) of Eaton, had 18 points. Eaton was down 23-11 at the end of a very fast moving first quarter. The Reds calmed the nerves a little in the second making it a game at 49-42, Strasburg still clenching the lead at halftime.
Should’ve Seen It: The last minute of the fourth quarter definitely made the energy in the gym ramp up. With 1:08 left in the fourth, Foss made an acrobatic three-point-play igniting the gym. Strasburg’s next trip down the floor was capped by Martin launching an NBA three-pointer from about six or seven feet in front of the Eaton logo at half-court. The gym was close to exploding, which made the game even more exciting. This energy leapfrogged the game into overtime.
And the Crowd: The crowd is what makes a classic game, classic. Of course, there was a player who scored 44 points in the Eaton High School gym, Friday night. Who knows how long it’s been since someone scored that many points in that gym. The Strasburg fans were in the referee’s ear all night. Especially during the third quarter when the Indians began to struggle. A couple of 50/50 calls going Eaton’s way made the Indian fans furious. One fan called out: “That’s what you get when you come to Eaton.”
Halftime Dims Strasburg Fire: The Reds came out of halftime with a 4-0 run and the Indians’ first four possessions contained two fouls and two turnovers. The powertrain in Martin was derailed for a while until the middle of the fourth quarter. He picked up his third foul early, After all, big players make big plays in big times in big games.
Up Next: The boys play the Sterling Tigers, Tues. Jan. 19 at home. Admission is $4 for students and $5 for adults, kids under the age of five get in free.
