Mike McGraw
HA Executive Director


The Danville Warriors traveled to Crawfordsville Friday night and posted a 79-66 victory over the host Athenians.  The win gave Danville the outright Sagamore Conference Championship.  It also capped an undefeated conference slate for the Warriors.  

Sometimes it is what does NOT happen in a basketball game that determines the outcome.  That certainly was the case on this night.  The two teams traded small offensive spurts in the first quarter and the period ended with Danville holding a 17-13 lead.  Hot shooting early in the second quarter expanded the Warrior margin to 9 points.  The good marksmanship was no accident.  Crawfordsville chose to collapse in the post when 6’8” Danville center, Travis Carroll, touched the ball.  Carroll repeatedly found his mates for open jumpers from the perimeter.  Meanwhile, Crawfordsville was consistently attacking the post in an attempt to put Carroll in foul trouble and send his sizeable presence to the bench.  They finally accomplished that feat when Carroll picked up his second foul with 4:41 left in the half.  After the attendant free throws, Danville’s lead was 26-19.  

What followed was the key stretch of the game.  With Carroll on the pine, Danville suddenly struggled to find open shots.  The Warriors dented the score board just once in their final eight possessions of the quarter.  That part of Crawfordsville’s strategy worked to perfection.  What foiled the Athenians’ plan was their failure to take advantage of Danville’s inability to score.  The score at intermission was 28-25, in favor of the Warriors.  In nearly five minutes of attacking Danville minus their big man, Crawfordsville had managed to cut the lead by only four points.  They would not get a second chance.  

Danville opened the second half on a 7-0 run to expand the lead to ten points.  It was only the beginning of an explosive third quarter performance by the Warriors.  In all, Danville scored 29 third quarter points.  The Athenians simply could not match the onslaught.  At quarters’ end, Danville led 57-39.  

Crawfordsville applied a fierce run-and-jump press in the forth quarter that slowed Danville considerably.  The pressure lead to numerous Warrior turnovers early in the quarter.  Still, the Athenians never seriously threatened.  The closest they would come was the thirteen point final margin.  

There was no doubt who had the greatest influence on this contest.  Carroll ended the night with a triple double.  The Sophomore scored 27 points, garnered 12 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists.  Tyler Whittington led Crawfordsville with 19 points.