In the Trenton High School boys basketball team’s last eight games the Bulldogs have a record of 7-1. The one blemish in this streak? A loss to Hamilton in the semifinals of the Lawson Tournament.
So when Trenton had an opportunity to avenge that loss on Thursday night, with only Braymer standing in the way, the Bulldogs crushed the Bobcats 61-31, guaranteeing a rematch with the Hornets Saturday in the Hamilton Tournament championship game.
Trenton’s semifinal win was far from a rout early on. Trenton held just a 10-9 lead after one quarter of play and by halftime, the Bulldog lead was just six points. Trenton allowed itself a little more breathing room with a 14-7 run in the third quarter, but it was the fourth period where the game got out of hand.
Trenton would outscore the Bobcats 26-8 in the final frame and it wasn’t because it was going to the free throw line throughout the fourth quarter. Trenton shot just six free-throws the entire contest, connecting on just two. Instead it was a combination of Trenton finally getting the pace it sought from the game’s beginning and the Bulldogs knocking down shots at an alarmingly good rate. It all added up to Trenton having its best quarter of the night, despite outscoring Braymer in each of the first three frames as well.
“We played pretty well in the second half,” Trenton Head Coach Jeremy Austin said. “Our defense was pretty strong. I think the guys were generally motivated because they want to go out and prove that they are a smart team that works hard and that they can go out and work well together. We had 17 assists in this game and that is moving the ball around pretty good.”
Leading the charge for Trenton was senior forward Connor Cotton, who posted a double-double with a team-high 25 points and 10 rebounds.
“Our motto, really from last year and still to this year, is get the ball in to Connor,” Austin said. “Good things happen when he touches the ball a lot. I think he only missed one field goal the whole night and they were tough shots. He had 6-6 and 6-4 guarding him down there the whole night. He was able to get himself open, get good shots and score on them. He still had 10 boards, too. That’s a top priority and it needs to be in our next game as well. He is smart enough to score when he has one on him and kick when he has two and that is just hard to find in a post player like that. It’s important that he stays a physical part of what we are doing.”
When Cotton wasn’t scoreing, he was drawing attention, allowing opportunities for his teammates. Lathan Croy continued a recent surge in scoring, going for 13 points, five rebounds and four assists. Spencer Harris followed with 11 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals and Corbyn Guile added eight points, six rebounds and five assists. Two points each from Kade Ockenfels and Carson Radcliff rounded out the Trenton total.
With the win, Trenton moved to 13-5 overall on the season.
The win sets up Trenton’s much pined for rematch with tournament-host Hamilton. The Bulldogs and Hornets will tip off in the championship game at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.