BASKETBALL: Saline Defense Limits Huron, But Hornet Shooters Off The Mark

Saline seemed to have Huron where they wanted them. The River Rats were coming into the game without having practiced for two weeks. The Saline defense played the grinding game coach Jake Fosdick wanted and limited the River Rats to just 40 points. And at the other end of the court, Saline's offense moved the ball around and created lots of wide-open shots.

But the shots wouldn't go.

Saline lost 40-31 to fall to 4-2 overall and 3-2 in the SEC Red.

"For the most part, we had them in a half-court game, which is always how we want to play. But yeah, you're not going to win any varsity basketball games scoring 31 points," coach head coach Jake Fosdick said. "We might play at a slower pace, but you've still got to be better than that. I didn't hate the looks we got. I thought we got good inside out threes. We got good looks, they just didn't go down."

Fosdick isn't one to talk of moral victories in a loss, but he saw positives and negatives in the context.

"To hold a team with that kind of firepower to 40, obviously we're happy. We'd like like to do a better job on the boards, make some shots and finish around contact," Fosdick said. "We've got to make shots around size and we've struggled with that so far."

Junior Cooper Fairman led the Hornets with 10 points. Seniors Derek Caldwell and Jaden Pickett scored six points and five points, respectively. Devin Womack led Huron with 12 points. Kingsley Perkins scored 10 points.

Saline struck first with a couple of nifty layups by Fairman and Caldwell.

The Hornets missed a couple of contested layups as the River Rats went on an 11-point run. Saline didn't score again until Fairman's three-pointer with two seconds left in the quarter.

Saline was down 11-7 after one stanza.

In the second,  Anthony Ferrari and Fairman hit back-to-back three-pointers in the first minute to give Saline a 13-11 lead.

It was the last time they'd lead. Huron scored the next eight points. Josh Koch and Jaden Pickett had back-to-back layups to get Saline within a basket, at 19-17, but the River Rats scored the next seven points and led 26-17 at halftime.

Pickett opened the scoring in the third with a three-pointer to get Saline within six points

The River Rats got it back with a three by Tyson Edmunson.

Caldwell inched the Hornets closer when he took pass from Ferrari and scored to get the Hornets within seven. But Adam Samaha entered the game and scored a three to make it a 32-22 game. Ferrari closed the very low-scoring third quarter by putting back a rebound. Saline was down 33-24 after three.

The Hornets opened the scoring in the fourth when Fairman stole a pass and sprinted in for the basket. Saline was within six - but they wouldn't score again for more than four minutes. Meanwhile, the River Rats expanded their lead to 10. With 3:15 to play, Tyler Thibault broke the cold snap with a three-pointer to make it a seven-point game with 3:15 to play.

Saline couldn't close the gap. Caldwell scored a late basket for the Hornets.

Despite the loss, Fosdick said he was happy with the team's effort.

"These guys are not backing down from anyone. They're attacking. They're playing with everybody. Now it's time to take that next step," Fosdick said. "That's going to be their decision. Are they ready to take the next step?"

Fosdick said the team will answer the question in practices and next week, when the Hornets have three games. Fosdick looks forward to the challenge.

"I'll put them on the floor every night and go to war with them because they do everything right. Maybe we've taken two lumps, but I'm ready to fight with them," Fosdick said.

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