(Connor Essegian posted a double double in a winning effort)

 

Central Noble used a dominant second-half run to take out Churubusco in a NECC contest on Friday night in Albion. The Cougars moved into sole possession of second place in the conference behind Westview with the victory.

 

This game was a rematch of a NECC Tournament game played two weeks ago, and Churubusco coach Chris Paul was determined not to let this game develop like the first, where Connor Essegian scored 44 points in an 81-71 Central Noble win. Busco came out in a diamond and one defense on Essegian, with senior guard Luke McClure drawing the defensive assignment on the Central Noble star. It seemed to work early, as McClure scored the first five points for the Eagles while effectively limiting Essegian's touches.

 

The defensive attention left senior wing Sawyer Yoder wide open, and he made Busco pay. The 6'4 Yoder knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter, then his third triple of the night early in the second period cause another defensive change, as Chris Paul shifted his team to a triangle and two defense on Essegian and Yoder. Yoder would hit another three, his fourth of the half, and Essegian would clean up defensively with 10 rebounds in the first half of play. Churubusco would stay in it, trailing by five at the break as Jackson Paul, Landen Jordan, and Luke McClure scored all 18 of their points in the first 16 minutes.

 

The Cougars came out of the locker room with renewed energy, as they hit the offensive glass hard and were able to capitalize with several buckets. Junior post Logan Gard had six in the third quarter alone, all off second-chance opportunities, as he matched the physicality of Landen Jordan inside. Essegian would manage to wiggle free, as he tallied seven points in the quarter in helping Central Noble extend their lead to 17 with eight minutes to go.

 

The lead for Central Noble would reach as many as 24 in the fourth, as the Cougars poured it on, taking advantage of the full-court pressure of Churubusco. Two plays epitomized the play of the Cougars in the second half. First, the ball would find Essegian just across the timeline, and he turned a two on one opportunity into a lob for a two-handed slam by Logan Gard. Then, with just under two minutes remaining, Sawyer Yoder found himself behind the defense, and he cranked back a huge one-handed throwdown to put an exclamation mark on the game.

 

Connor Essegian had 16 of his team-high 20 points after halftime and also contributed a game-high 13 boards to go along with four assists and four steals. Sawyer Yoder had 12 of his 18 in the first half, and Logan Gard joined them in double figures with 11. Ryan Schroeder put in a great all-around effort with 4 points, 8 boards, and 6 assists.

 

Jackson Paul had a game-high 23 points for the Eagles in defeat, while Landen Jordan recorded another double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Luke McClure added 11 as well.

 

 

 

Churubusco     11   7  11  25  -  54

Central Noble  11  12  23  21  -  67

 

Churubusco: Jackson Paul 23 points (9/21 FGs, 2/9 3Ps, 3/4 FTs), 4 rebs, 5 asts, 4 stls; Landen Jordan 13 points (6/9 FGs, 1/3 FTs), 12 rebs, 2 blks; Luke McClure 11 points (3/11 FGs, 2/4 3Ps, 3/4 FTs), 3 asts, 3 stls; Ayden White 5 points (2/5 FGs, 1/3 3Ps), 3 rebs; Drew Pliett 2 points (1/4 FGs), 2 rebs

 

Central Noble: Connor Essegian 20 points (7/14 FGs, 4/7 3Ps, 2/5 FTs), 13 rebs, 4 asts, 4 stls; Sawyer Yoder 18 points (7/12 FGs, 4/8 3Ps), 3 rebs, 2 blks; Logan Gard 11 points (4/5 FGs, 3/6 FTs), 3 rebs; Jackson Andrews 7 points (3/8 FGs, 1/2 FTs), 5 asts; Aidan Dreibelbis 5 points (2/4 FGs, 1/2 3Ps), 2 asts; Ryan Schroeder 4 points (2/5 FGs), 8 rebs, 6 asts; Conner Lemmon 2 points (1/3 FGs)