Falcons down Arrows on road

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NEW CARLISLE – Graham built an early lead on the back of multiple three-pointers and held off a pesky Tecumseh team for a 55-48 victory in CBC non-divisional boys basketball on Tuesday. It was the Falcons’ first road win of the season.

The Falcons sank 6 long balls in the first quarter, outscoring the Arrows, 18-8, in the frame. Tristen Henry and Andrew Ford combined to do most of the damage.

“We take a lot of pride in our three-point shooting. It’s something that’s part of our culture. It’s in our DNA, so we can be a hard team to play against in a zone,” Graham Coach Julian Grasso said. “I have to credit a player like Tristen Henry. He’s an emotional player, so for him to start out like that is big.”

One of the CBC’s highest-scoring teams, Graham again showed its run-and-gun style, with star shooter Ford at its heart. Ford finished with 24 points. Henry added 15 for the Falcons.

“(Ford)’s so important. He’s technically so skilled and so polished as a player,” Grasso said. “If he was a bigger and stronger player, he’d be a big-time college player. Unfortunately, he was given the frail frame and 5-foot-10.”

The Falcons cooled off a bit in the second quarter, but maintained the margin and took a 26-16 lead into the locker room.

The second half saw Tecumseh make a run out of the break to tie the game at 29, but Graham was able to extend a small lead into double digits again in the fourth.

The final three minutes were excruciating, with each team in the double bonus and minutes dragging on as Tecumseh fouled to get back into the game.

“It was our first road win of the year, so that was our goal,” Grasso said. “We’ve played very well at home, but on the road we’ve had some tough defeats. So we talked about getting back to our goal and slaying the dragon.”

In the end, Graham (6-11) had enough to win, with Henry and Ford putting up points from the stripe.

In the jayvee game, Tecumseh came away with a narrow 59-56 victory. Matt Flora had 25 points for Graham in that contest.

Graham hosts Indian Lake on Friday.

Graham’s Andrew Ford (12) dribbles around his defender and into the teeth of the Tecumseh defense Tuesday. As usual, Graham used dribble penetration to set up three-point shooting en route to a 55-48 win.
https://www.urbanacitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2017/01/web1_AndrewFord013117.jpgGraham’s Andrew Ford (12) dribbles around his defender and into the teeth of the Tecumseh defense Tuesday. As usual, Graham used dribble penetration to set up three-point shooting en route to a 55-48 win.

By Justin Miller

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Reach Justin Miller at 652-1331 (ext. 1776) or on Twitter @UDC_Miller.

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