Posted on 07 February 2009 by .
By Mike McGraw
Executive Director
FRANKFORT – Folks, from November through March, I watch basketball games for a living. I also coached the game for over 20 years. So, there is at least a little expertise involved when I say that the Feb. 6 battle between Class 3A No. 6 Danville and 3A No. 15 host Frankfort was the best basketball game I have witnessed in the 2008-09 season, period.
What will be remembered is Troy Porter’s stone-cold 3-point dagger at the buzzer that sent Frankfort fans home deliriously happy with a 59-56 victory. What may not be mentioned as often is the high level of intensity, and play, from beginning to end.
The stars were superlative, the supporting casts more than solid, and the coaching impeccable.
It would be impossible to chronicle all the twists and turns of this war. Instead, let me set the stage and then relate the highlights quarter by quarter.
Both teams entered the game undefeated in Sagamore Conference play. Both have big-time players – Danville has 6’9” pivot Travis Carroll, Frankfort possesses 6’6” forward Steve Loveless. Danville has been rated in the 3A Top 10 all season, Frankfort has recently entered the polls.
Both teams feel they can make serious noise come tourney time. In other words, this contest had all the ingredients for a classic. It did not disappoint.
First quarter
Loveless quickly makes a statement that he has no intention of playing second fiddle to Carroll in the battle of the stars – he ends the first eight minutes with 13 points, three rebounds, and an assist. Meanwhile, Carroll registers eight points, two rebounds, and one dime, but he receives far more help from his supporting cast.
The period features no lead bigger than three points and has two ties with one lead change. It ends with Frankfort holding a 17-15 advantage.
Second quarter
Loveless sits down for a rest with a little over six minutes remaining in the half, leaving the court with Frankfort still holding the 17-15 lead. By the time he returns a little over two minutes later, Danville has gone on a 7-2 run to lead 22-19.
Lovelace scores the final six Frankfort points in the half, but Danville takes a 27-25 lead into intermission. Carroll ends the half with 12 points.
Third quarter
Danville coach Brian Barber adjusts his defensive strategy at halftime in an effort to slow down Loveless. It works very well as Frankfort’s main weapon is held scoreless until the final play of the period.
The Warriors start the quarter on a 7-3 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 34-28. It is then that Frankfort’s supporting cast arrives on the scene like the Calvary riding in just in the nick of time. The Hot Dogs’ backcourt hits treys on Frankfort’s next three trips to cut the margin to 38-37.
Danville, however, keeps its composure and leads at the end of three stanzas 44-41. The Purdue-bound Carroll pours in eight third-quarter points and has 20 heading into the fourth period.
Fourth quarter
As great players do, Loveless finds a way to circumvent the suffocating Danville defense and scores the first six Frankfort points of the final quarter. Still, Danville responds to every blow and leads 50-45.
Frankfort then goes on the short run it had been searching for since the second quarter, and a 6-0 burst gives the Hot Dogs the lead for the first time in the second half. Carroll scores to put Danville back in front 52-51. After stopping the Hot Dogs on their next possession, it appears Carroll scores again.
However, the bucket is waved off because he is called for an offensive foul. Porter then drills a three to put Frankfort up by two at 54-52. Two Porter free throws increase the lead to four before Carroll hits two charity tosses to cut it back to a deuce with just under two minutes to play.
On its next trip, Frankfort runs the delay game to perfection. The Hot Dogs eat over a minute off the clock before Danville fouls with 46 seconds to play. But Frankfort proceeds to not only miss the front end of the one-and-one, but also miss another front end after Porter grabs the offensive rebound.
Danville wastes little time in getting Carroll open, and he ties the game with just less than 30 seconds to play. Frankfort runs the clock for the final shot. In the waning seconds, point guard Korben Shirar finds Porter on the left wing and, after a great ball fake to the opposite side, hits him with a perfect pass.
Porter does his best sniper imitation and takes out the entire Danville throng with one shot. Final score: Frankfort 59, Danville 56.
For all of their heroics, Loveless and Carroll ultimately cancelled each other out: They both finished the evening with 27 points. Porter added 13 for the Hot Dogs (11-4, 4-0 in league play), while Michael Humphrey contributed 15 for the Warriors (10-4, 4-1).
Frankfort now faces a Feb. 12 conference showdown with North Montgomery (12-3, 5-0) and another Purdue recruit, D.J. Byrd, in its quest for the Sagamore championship. The Hot Dogs will finish their season with winnable conference road games against Southmont (5-9, 1-5) and Tri-West Hendricks (7-8, 2-3).
Next up for Danville is a Feb. 7 home game with Brebeuf (9-6).
Hoosier Authority captured the winning stroke from Porter and talked with both he and Loveless after the game. The videos are on this page!
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