IMG 5890

They may play at some point in the future, but the annual twice-a-year rivalry is over between Tecumseh and Tippecanoe. While the two teams have squared off in some great games over the years, the Arrows withstood a furious Tipp comeback in the fourth period, and escaped with a 62-60 victory over the Red Devils, inching them closer to a conference title.

Tippecanoe, who enters the Greater Western Ohio Conference next season, trailed by 10 with 3:40 remaining, and nearly pulled off the comeback. Malik and Darius Quisenberry combined to go 6-8 from the free throw line in the final 1:11 to seal the win.

“We found a way again,” Tecumseh coach Roger Culbertson said. “It was good game all the way through, and both of us were playing hard. We need to do a better job to extend leads. We got the lead up to 10 then we take a bad shot and they come down with a layup and a three, and it’s a five point game.”

Tecumseh led early as Darius Quisenberry scored six of the first eight points for the Arrows, and they maintained their slim lead through most of the first quarter before Tipp took a lead. Joe Tesch and Jakob Prall scored with just over two minutes left in the opening quarter, giving Tipp a 14-13 lead. Matt Crain answered for the Arrows with a steal and layup, and Brody Martin fired in a three, sending the Arrows into the second period leading 17-15.

Tipp regained the lead midway through the second when Zach Wildermuth scored on a drive to the hoop, and the Red Devils held onto the lead until the half. A big three from Prall took the lead to four, and later Tesch scored on a ten-footer, giving the Red Devils a 31-26 lead with 1:09 left until the half.

Darius Quisenberry scored five points in the final 30 seconds of the half, including a tip-in buzzer-beater off an inbounds play, but the Red Devils still led 32-31 at the half.

“I thought defensively, it was the little things that would make the difference,” Tippecanoe coach Joel Visser said. “With 0.4 seconds we don’t recognize that we need to get underneath the basket to avoid the lob quick enough.”

Tecumseh came out after the half and won the third quarter, which turned out to be the difference in the game for the Arrows. The Arrows outscored Tipp 13-3 in the eight minutes.

“We turned the ball over ten times in the second half,” Visser said. “The slow start in the third quarter was the difference. They picked up the pressure, and we didn’t stick by our guns on what we worked on all week, and were successful with in the first half.”

Tecumseh led by 15 early in the fourth before Tipp came storming back. A three from Wildermuth with 1:32 left cut the lead to 56-52, and Tesch took over for Tipp in the closing seconds, trying to get them back. The Tipp senior scored the final eight points for the Red Devils in the final 49 seconds but the late free throws by the Arrows gave them the win.

Darius Quisenberry led the Arrows with 27 points, while Malik Quisenberry added 16 for Tecumseh. Tipp was led in scoring by Tesch with 14, Wildermuth scored 12 and Prall added 10.

Tecumseh.

The Arrows can join their counterparts on the girls’ squad and wrap up the conference title on Friday night against Stebbins, then host Xenia on Saturday. Tipp heads to Bellefontaine on Friday, then on Saturday they head to Hobart Arena for an all-day basketball event with the Troy Trojans. All of the boys and girls teams will be in action against Troy that day.

First Group 2x2
First Group 2x2
Local News

Stories on people, places, events and businesses right here in Western Clark County.

Local Government

Meetings and news from local Boards of Education, Township Trustees and County Commissioners.

Sports

Arrows, Bees & Warriors; we cover all local high school sports, as well as local semi-pro and adult leagues