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First quarter the difference as Shenandoah tops Frontier

Photo by Jordan Holland Shenandoah’s Christian Duniver (1) makes a move with the ball as Frontier’s Logan Brookover defends during a high school boys basketball game Tuesday night at Hank Morus Gymnasium. Shenandoah won, 70-52.

NEW MATAMORAS — Shenandoah’s first-quarter spurt proved to be the difference in the Zeps’ 70-52 victory over Frontier Tuesday night.

SHS (11-6) outscored the Cougars 26-9 in the opening period. Frontier (11-5) fought back, allowing just two points in the second quarter and cutting the deficit to four points three different times, but the Cougars weren’t able to overcome the first eight minutes.

“We made some shots early which got us going,” said Shenandoah head coach Marc Smith.

“This is two entirely different teams. They’re big, strong and physical. We’re more guard-oriented. You’ve got to give them a lot of credit for doing what they do well, which is exploit the paint and exploit the post. Then give us credit for what we do well. Our guards played pretty well.”

Christian Duniver led a balanced Shenandoah offensive effort, scoring 22 points. Three other Zeps were in double figures as Dayton Hill scored 14, Kendal Sherman netted 12 and Colby Farmer tallied 11 off the bench. Max McVicker added nine points and a team-high seven rebounds.

Fourteen of Duniver’s points came in the first period as the junior guard sparked his team early.

“We buried ourselves in the first quarter,” said Frontier head coach Roger Kirkpatrick. “We battled and got it down to four a couple times, just couldn’t get over the hump. It’s one of the worst games we’ve played, but (Shenandoah) shot the ball well. Give them credit. They hit key shots from the beginning.”

Frontier didn’t quit, though, and got itself back in the game with a stellar effort in the second quarter. The Cougars outscored the Zeps 11-2 in the second period to get within 28-20. The duo of Logan Brookover and Kyle Daugherty combined for all of Frontier’s first-half points. Brookover finished with game-highs of 24 points, 12 rebounds and five assists while Daugherty added 18 points and 11 boards.

Breckin Hoff’s basket to open the second half was followed by a Daugherty bucket to get the Cougars within four, 28-24. Duniver then nailed a pair of free-throws before Brookover’s putback made it 30-26.

Shenandoah went up nine, 40-31, on Sherman’s steal and layup with 3:35 to go in the third, but Daugherty scored five straight points to cut it to 40-36. Once again, the Zeps had an answer as Farmer drained a 3-pointer from the corner off an assist from Sherman, and Shenandoah took a 50-40 lead going into the fourth and kept Frontier at bay from there.

Smith was impressed with the way the Zeps overcame their second-quarter struggles.

“We were really, really standing around offensively,” he said. “They were extending their zone out and we were just kind of content to keep backing up and backing up, because our mentality is to shoot the 3. We made a concerted effort at halftime that the game would be won in the paint offensively and defensively. In the second half we did a really nice job of getting them extended and then attacking them through the high-post. We got the ball to the rim and we got ourselves to the free-throw line.”

Shenandoah executed its offense and took smart shots, finishing 24 for 43 (55.8%) from the floor.

“We’ve got to get back on track and get to our strengths again,” Kirkpatrick said. “Inside-out, play defense. We’ve given up 70 points two out of our last three games, and that’s not in our DNA. We’ve got to find what we do well and get back to it.”

The two teams play again next Friday in Sarahsville.

Jordan Holland can be reached at jholland@mariettatimes.com.

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