UF basketball: Defense keys UF win over Walsh

By ANDY WOLF
STAFF WRITER
CANTON — Walsh shot its way back into the game Saturday.
But the University of Findlay men’s basketball team put the Cavaliers away with tough defense.
The Oilers kept Walsh scoreless for four minutes late in the game, scoring 12 unanswered in that span, and picked up a 72-60 Great Midwest Athletic Conference win.
“We just didn’t panic,” UF coach Charlie Ernst said. “We’re playing without (Taren) Sullivan. We do have a lot of veterans.
“Give Walsh credit. We knew they were going to make a run at us.”
Findlay (21-3, 15-1) rebounded from its first loss in 16 games. Malone handed UF an 82-71 defeat Thursday in the Oilers’ first game without Sullivan, who is recovering from an ankle injury.
Sullivan missed Saturday’s game as well, but Ernst said he will resume practice Monday.
Trey Smith, inserted into the starting lineup, added 10 points for back-to-back double-figure games for the first time in his career. He had a career-high 14 Thursday.
“The Malone game, we took a lot of positives out of that game,” the junior guard said. “… This was just to show we can come out here and play without one of our best players who hopefully will be back soon.”
Martyce Kimbrough scored a game-high 19 points for UF while Elijah Kahlig added 14. Both sank three 3-pointers.
Steven Carpenter led Walsh with 18 points but the hot shooting of freshmen guards Darryl Straughter (13 points) and Bo Furcron (11 points) put UF on the ropes.
The duo totaled only three points in the first half.
“Those are two great players over there for Walsh,” Smith said. “We know they can get hot in a hurry and we just have to make everything they do tough, which we did a decently good job of tonight.”
The Oilers carried a 41-28 halftime edge and extended it to 47-31 with six points from Kahlig in the opening minute of the second half.
Straughter and Furcron soon turned the tide.
The pair combined for 17 points in a 19-2 Walsh run with Furcron assisting on the other bucket (Carpenter).
Furcron knocked down a jumper and a 3-pointer, sandwiched around back-to-back Straughter threes, to close an 8-0 run.
Just like that, the Cavs trailed just 49-48 with 11:54 left.
“They’ve got some outstanding young kids,” Ernst said. “They’re a handful. It says a lot about them as freshmen that they put their team on their back.”
Walsh never got over the hump fully.
Tommy Schmock drove twice for a bucket around a three-point play by Smith.
The Oilers worked the lead back to 60-55 with 6:29 to go before scoring the next 12 points.
Alex White scored in the paint, Austin Gardner hit two free throws and Kimbrough finished a layup off a turnover plus a mid-range jumper off the glass.
The raucous home crowd suddenly turned silent as Walsh missed five straight shots.
“It all started at the defensive end,” Smith said. “When we defend and rebound like we did late in the second half, we’re able to chip away, chip away and keep expanding on that lead.”
Even giving up some size with Smith (5-foot-10) for Sullivan (6-6), the Oilers outrebounded the GMAC’s best rebounding team 41-28. The Cavaliers averaged a plus-10 margin on the season.
“It’s a funny game isn’t it?” Ernst said. “Give our guys credit. That was a lot of heart they displayed today.”

FINDLAY (21-3, 15-1 GMAC)
Gardner 1-5 2-2 5, Smith 3-7 3-3 10, Kimbrough 8-17 0-0 19, Kahlig 5-10 1-1 14, White 2-6 4-6 8, Schmock 3-5 0-0 6, Masterlasco 2-3 0-1 4, Ashley 1-2 0-0 3, Overhiser 1-4 1-2 3. TOTALS: 26-59 11-15–72.
WALSH (15-6, 10-5 GMAC)
Furcron 4-12 2-2 11, Straughter 4-9 2-4 13, Carpenter 7-12 2-2 18, Lucien 2-5 0-0 5, Vaudrin 2-5 1-2 6, Christy 0-2 0-0 0, Wess 1-7 0-0 2, Canter 2-4 1-1 5. TOTALS: 22-56 8-11–60.
HALFTIME: Findlay, 41-28.
3-Point GOALS: Findlay 9-27 (Gardner 1-4, Smith 1-2, Kimbrough 3-10, Kahlig 3-8, White 0-1, Ashley 1-2); Walsh 8-25 (Furcron 1-6, Straughter 3-5, Carpenter 2-3, Lucien 1-3, Vaudrin 1-1, Christy 0-1, Wess 0-6).
rebounds: Findlay 41 (White 12); Walsh 28 (Furcron & Lucien). turnovers: Findlay 10, Walsh 8. ASSISTS: Walsh 15 (Vaudrin 6, Furcron 4); Findlay 7 (Kimbrough 2). STEALS: Walsh 6 (Vaudrin 6); Findlay 3. FOULS: Walsh 17, Findlay 14. FOULED OUT: Vaudrin.
Wolf, 419-427-8496
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