Free throws are a major point of emphasis in practice for the Trenton High School boys basketball team. Every day, every player shoots 50 free throws. On Monday, Dylan Harris hit 50 out of 50 on his free throws in practice.
So when Thursday night’s Gallatin Tournament semifinal game came down to free throws, it was Harris who Trenton forced the ball to time after time in the late fourth quarter.
The junior toed the line six times late in the game, connecting on five free throws that lifted Trenton past tournament-host Gallatin, 53-50 and sent Trenton back to the championship game for the third year in a row.
For Harris, the pressure situation was nothing new. It was he who flung up a buzzer-beating three-pointer last year that sunk Stanberry and gave Trenton the Grand River Conference championship after all. While the magnitude of Thursday’s semifinal wasn’t as great as it was last February, the pressure may have been greater.
“It was probably a higher pressure situation this time,” Trenton Head Coach Jeremy Austin said. “Not because it was a bigger game – it wasn’t. But, to stand there on that line by yourself and produce five key free throws there at the end takes a lot more strength just in your own head than it does to go down with one second to think about it and let one shot fly. It was huge for him. He had a good game.”
But Harris’ free throws wouldn’t have been necessary had Trenton not rallied to the lead in the fourth quarter. Trenton trailed 38-34 entering the final frame and had trailed since being tied with Gallatin after the opening quarter, 14-14. But, the strong free throw shooting and the continued career night for Carson Radcliff elevated the Bulldogs past Gallatin as Trenton outscored its hosts 19-12 over the game’s final eight minutes.
Radcliff would lead Trenton with 16 points, two steals and two assists, the 16 points representing a career high.
Behind Radcliff, Harris finished with 11 points and Carson Burchett had eight. Lathan Croy added seven points, two assists and five rebounds while Hunter Dugan and Max McNabb scored four points each. Kade Ockenfels rounded out Trenton’s total with three points and also pulled down six rebounds.
With the win, Trenton moved to 2-1 on the season.
TRENTON GIRLS
The Trenton girls piled up 27 steals for the second game in a row and rolled past Braymer in the Gallatin Tournament semifinals on Thursday night, 56-22.
The Bulldogs outclassed their opponents from the opening tip and led 14-2 after one quarter and 30-6 at halftime. Trenton let up significantly in the second half, but still outscored Braymer in each of the two remaining frames, taking the game by 34 points.
Ainsley Tolson led the way for the Bulldogs, tallying a season-high 21 points to go with nine steals and seven assists. Mykah Hurley added 13 points and seven steals and Ashten Whitaker and Sidney Lynch each scored six points with Lynch going for four steals, four rebounds and two assists. Salem Croy had five points and three assists. Maci Moore had three points and Haley Kidd had two to round out Trenton’s total.
“Best defense we have played all year,” Trenton Head Coach Brian Upton said. “We lost a little intensity in the second half. We will need to keep our defensive focus and increase our offensive intensity in the championship.”
UP NEXT
Trenton Girls: The Trenton girls will face tournament-host Gallatin in the championship game on Saturday at 1:15. The Bulldogs will be aiming for a third-straight Gallatin Tournament title and a win would be Trenton’s fifth title in the last six Gallatin Tournaments.
Trenton Boys: The Trenton boys will take on top-seeded Winston in the Gallatin Tournament championship on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The two teams will meet in the title game for the third year in a row.