Clyde cruises by Tornadoes 72-56

Not being able to put four quarters of basketball together is really starting to cost Columbian games. The pressure from the Clyde defense that only allowed Columbian to score three baskets and the run in the fourth quarter is what caused the Tornadoes to lose momentum and ultimately drop the game to the Fliers 72-56 in SBC Lake play Monday night. Though the game tonight was more symbolic for coach Ryan Fretz. "Tonight's game was about coaching the Tiffin guys," Fretz said. "Right now, I'm coaching the Tiffin guys. When I took this job, I knew the Clyde team would be talented, and it's showing. They played extremely well tonight." Fretz coached the varsity boy's team at Clyde for eight seasons before coming home to his alma mater. "Our guys though, played well tonight. They knew how much this game was a big one," Fretz said. "They played for their school and their community. They played as hard as they could, and that's all that you can ask of them." "I knew the Tiffin team was going to get out front early," Clyde coach Jared Shetzer said. "I had a feeling it was going to happen, and I thought our kids did a great job. It's not the first time we have been in a hole and had to dig ourselves out." The Tornadoes started off the game with Zach Shawberry scoring a trey and four points on layups. From there Bradley Willman found himself at the free throw line and sunk one out of two. Logan Smith then got back-to-back-to-back baskets. By the end of the first, it was 19-13 with Columbian on top, and the only time it would be ahead."I thought we came out good at the beginning of the game," Fretz said. "Clyde isn't a team that is just going to roll over and give it to you. With their style of play, they can go on a run at any time." Within the opening minute of the second, Clyde's Oscar Webb scored on two back-to-back baskets from turnovers from TC. The Fliers would continue to dominate the remainder of the quarter. The Fliers only allowed the Tornadoes to score 12 points, two baskets came from Shawberry, Logan Gooding with one basket, and two 3-pointers, one each came from DaShawn Russell and Owen Hickey. By halftime, Clyde was leading 31-28. The second half rolled in, and the Fliers were relentless. Clyde maintained possession of the ball for a solid five minutes and scored on a 13-0 run, bringing the score to 38-31. The run got broken up temporarily by Russell shooting from the charity stripe and making his two points. Between baskets, 3-pointers, and trips to the charity stripe, the Fliers and Tornadoes went back and forth, before ending the quarter just nine points apart 49-40. That was the closest the teams would be. TC only made three baskets in the fourth quarter, while the rest of the points were from the charity stripe as Clyde kept being fouled. For the Fliers, their points came mostly from baskets. "I was on staff as an assistant at Clyde for the last couple of years," Shetzer said. "I learned a few things from coach Fretz. Obviously I had experience before as a head coach. When I was given the opportunity to coach here, I thought 'I'm home.'" As for coach Fretz, he ultimately is focused on the next game and making sure that in two days time, they can focus on playing four quarters of basketball. "We are coming up against a tough Sandusky team," Fretz said. "We can't do what we did tonight, because they apply the pressure harder than Clyde did." Clyde 72 Columbian 56 TC (3-7, 0-2 SBC): Hickey 2-4-10 Shawberry 7-5-20 Diamantopoulos 0-3-3 Stephey 0-3-3 Gooding 2-0-5 Russell 2-5-10 Smith 2-0-4 Willman 0-1-1 Totals: 15-21-56 Clyde ( 3-4, 1-2 SBC): Messer 1-3-5, Dashner 4-0-9, Flewelling 2-0-4 Webb 4-2-12 Olson 6-5-18 Wilson 3-7-16 Perkins 2-0-4 Scruggs 2-0-4 Totals: 24-17-72 TC 19-12-9-16-56 Clyde: 13-15-21-23-72 3 point goals: TC 5 (Hickey 2, Shawberry, Gooding, Russell) Clyde 7 (Wilson 3, Olson, Webb 2, Dashner) Foul Shots: TC: 21-32 Clyde: 17-22