MARTINSVILLE — Perhaps it was only fitting that a game constantly being interrupted by whistles came down to free throws. Martinsville made just enough to win, and Greenwood missed just enough not to.
Still, it took a buzzer-beating runner by the Woodmen’s Adam Rapp bouncing out at the horn for the host Artesians to hang on for a 56-54 triumph in a boys basketball showdown that had its share of highs and lows on either side.
Trailing by 12 in the middle of the third quarter, the Woodmen scrapped their way back, reclaiming the lead at 50-48 on two Eric Moenkhaus free throws with 4:13 remaining. Martinsville’s Jackson Raventos responded with a go-ahead 3-pointer 51 seconds later, but a transition layup by Moenkhaus at the 2:43 mark gave the Woodmen a 52-51 edge.
The visitors had a chance to run out the clock with under two minutes left, but a steal and layup by Tyler Stead put the Artesians back up by one. The lead changed hands twice more when Greenwood’s Isaiah Drew and Martinsville’s Levy Chandler exchanged pairs of made free throws, setting the Woodmen up with a pair of chances to avoid defeat. The first chance came when Jeffrey Reynolds missed a pair of foul shots with 18.4 seconds to go, and the second — Rapp’s last-ditch attempt to force overtime — bounced off the rim as time expired.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
Click here to purchase photos from this galleryMartinsville missed two of three foul shots in the last 15 seconds to give Greenwood hope, but it finished the night 18 of 22 from the stripe, while the Woodmen were just 14 of 27.
The Woodmen held the Artesians without a field goal for the first 7:40 of the game yet still led just 15-9 after one quarter. Martinsville, having stayed afloat by hitting 7 of 8 from the line in the opening period, got things going in the second period, taking a 20-18 lead on back-to-back 3-pointers by Chandler and Stead. Those buckets were part of an extended 21-6 surge that helped the home club take a 36-26 edge into the half.
It was difficult for either team to sustain momentum during a first half in which 25 fouls were called and 30 free throws were attempted. Greenwood went into the intermission with all five starters sitting at least two fouls and three of them — Rapp, Drew and Reynolds — owning three.
Down but not out, the Woodmen began to chip away late in the third quarter, and consecutive baskets by Max Raker capped an 8-0 burst that cut the deficit down to 41-37 at the 2:56 mark of the period. A make by Moenkhaus at the end of the third started another Greenwood run of eight points that made it 46-45 with 6:31 left in regulation. A 3-pointer by Drew with 4:35 to go tied it at 48-48, and it was a back-and-forth affair for the duration.
Moenkhaus led the way for the Woodmen with 15 points, while Reynolds added 10. Stead paced all scorers with 21 for Martinsville.
