Trenton Boys Come Close, But Can’t Pull Off Win

Certain things in the game of basketball can be controlled. Others can’t.
Inopportune injuries fall into the latter and, unfortunately for the Trenton High School boys basketball team, the loss of Jaren Whitney to an ankle injury loomed large Friday night in Chillicothe.
With the Bulldogs’ leading scorer to date on the young season sitting on the bench with an ankle sprain, Trenton came painfully close to knocking off the Hornets on their home floor, ultimately succumbing to defeat by a 66-58 score.
“We played a great game,” Trenton Head Coach Jeremy Austin said. “We were just a little short handed due to injuries and foul trouble.”
In addition to being without Whitney, Trenton had Max McNabb and Dylan Harris in and out of the game all night due to mounting fouls. McNabb would finish the game on the bench with five fouls, Harris was on the floor with four.
Trenton trailed 15-12 after the opening quarter, but the Bulldogs put up 18 points in the second to take a 30-27 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Hornets closed to within a single point in the third before rallying past Trenton with a 26-point output in the fourth – a run aided by free-throws down the stretch, which Chillicothe made good on for the most part.
Trenton was paced in the loss by 16 points from McNabb, who also collected five rebounds. Dylan Harris had 13 points and Carson Radcliff finished with 11 points. Isaac Harris had nine points and six assists and Carson Burchett and Dalton Burchett rounded out the team’s total with five and four points respectively.
“Max played a great game and we did a good job handling pressure,” Austin said. “We have to get kids healthy. Hopefully we heal up quickly.”
Trenton fell to 3-3 overall on the season with the loss. The Bulldogs travel to face Princeton tonight (Tuesday), tipping off after the girls’ contest which begins at 6 p.m.