Panthers ousted in low-scoring opener

KNOXVILLE — Knoxville opened the game with three straight 3-pointers to take a 9-2 lead, and sailed from there to a 59-35 victory over Creston boys in a Class 3A Substate 2 opener Monday night.

Junior guard Jack Reed made his third 3-pointer three minutes into the second period to give the Knoxville Panthers a 19-4 advantage. At that point he already had 11 points on the way to a game-high 21 points. Another talented junior, Lincoln Norris, added 10 points before sitting out much of the second half. Norris has committed to play infield for the University of Iowa baseball team.

Despite the hot start, a Knoxville team averaging 73 points a game at 20-3 for the season managed only 26 points at halftime. While Creston’s defense had settled in, the offense had yet to spark in trailing 26-11 at the break.

“Number 1 (Reed) is a really good shooter and got some open looks, but I thought we executed our defensive game plan pretty well overall,” Creston coach Bryce Schafer said. “Offensively we had opportunities for good shot looks in the first period that just didn’t go in. If we even get just a couple of those buckets, it revitalizes energy, and it keeps us right there on the precipice. When the lead goes to about 20, then we start trying to make something happen and we get the turnovers. Those are the things that compound it and spin it out of control.”

Knoxville gradually increased its lead from 15 points to 22 (40-18) at the end of the third quarter.

When Rhett Driskell hit a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, he had 20 of the team’s 28 points as Creston trailed 51-28. Driskell ended with 20 points. The next highest scorer was CT Stalker with four.

Knoxville hosts Gilbert (14-8) on Thursday in the semifinals. Gilbert routed 4-18 Boone Monday, 79-49.

Creston’s season ends at 5-17. Seniors in their last game for the Panthers in addition to Stalker were Cael Barton, Jaxson Jondle, Nathan Carroll, Ayden Purdum and Hector Suazo.

“I can’t say enough about our seniors,” Schafer said. “If you look at that group from their freshman year to now, it is the biggest jump of any group I think I’ve had. The largest step of growth from an entire class. The effort was always there. We’ve had teams with more talent than this group that didn’t work nearly as hard as these guys. We started 0-8 and they kept fighting. We were close in several games, probably should have had closer to the nine or 10 mark for wins.”

While Driskell was the clear production leader of this team, Schafer often subbed in four at a time in going deep to his bench. He addressed that topic after the game.

“I wanted to give everybody an opportunity to show something, so if they were on, that they were the ones getting the opportunity that night,” Schafer said. “Also, we had some guys who aren’t necessarily the most conditioned individuals in the world, so I wanted them to get blows to have them as fresh as possible so we didn’t get those silly turnovers we tend to make in states of fatigue.”

He said the system also kept the team engaged and ready to contribute.

“If you watch the tapes of our first six to eight games, you watch the bench and they are disengaged,” Schafer said. “They don’t think they’re playing. The moment we went to this substitution pattern, they were engaged. They know they are going to get at least an opportunity.”

Schafer said he appreciated the positive attitude maintained by his players in a season of setbacks and “noise” around them. He heard audible comments critical of coaching strategy, even after Monday’s final game.

“I’m a little frustrated by that,” Schafer said. “I’ve been in this long enough that I don’t need praise. But, to blatantly say things after a game, I just feel like it takes away from the work that the guys put in and it undermines what we’re trying to do with building respectful men and women of the community.”

Driskell scored 442 points as a junior and enters his final season next year with 708 career points.

KNOXVILLE (59) — Totals (FG FT PTS) — 20 14-18 59. Jack Reed 7 4-4 21, Lincoln Norris 3 3-3 10, Alex Kelley 3 1-3 7, Jacob Mitrisin 3 0-1 7, Eli Fuller 2 2-2 5, Nolan Smith 1 3-4 5, Karsen Caster 1 2-2 4. 3-point goals — 5 (Reed 3, Mitrisin 1, Norris 1). Team fouls — 12. Fouled out — None.

CRESTON (35) — Totals — (FG FT PTS) 12 8-11 35. Rhett Driskell 6 5-6 20, CT Stalker 2 0-2 4, Cael Barton 1 0-0 3, Baret Lane 1 0-2 3, Ayden Purdum 1 0-0 2, Layne Sand 1 0-1 2, Nathan Carroll 0 1-2 1. 3-point goals — 5-22 (Driskell 3, Barton 1, Lane 1). FG shooting — 12-44 (27.3 percent). Rebounds — 24 (Driskell 8, Carroll 5, Barton 3). Assists — 8 (Stalker 2). Steals — 5 (Driskell 1, Barton 1, Lane 1, Ray 1, Schaffer 1). Turnovers — 21. Team fouls — 17. Fouled out — Sand.