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Postseason loss wraps Trojan season on the hardwood

by Phil Johnson
| February 28, 2014 1:08 PM

The Trojan basketball season came to an end Thursday morning when Troy lost to Deer Lodge, 53-49. The loss bounced Troy from the double-elimination Western B Divisional after a Wednesday loss to Florence.

“The guys played hard, but we missed too many easy ones,” Troy Coach Cory Andersen said. “With five minutes left, we were up one after being down eight at half. Missed shots and turnovers got us.”

The loss drops Troy (11-11) to a .500 record. In retrospect, Andersen said he considers the year a success.

“I figured if we were around (.500) it would be a good year,” Andersen said. “The senior class is a solid group of kids. I’m proud of them.”

Led by guard Gabe Hickman, the Trojans graduate six seniors. Also the quarterback on the football team, Hickman led the Trojans in scoring.

“He had a great year for us,” Andersen said. “He’s been tremendous.”

Along with Hickman, senior starters Luke Haggerty, Nathan Olds and Bruce Metz, along with substitute Erich Tallmadge, are also done on the high school hardwood.

“Luke had a solid year, he really came on in the second half of the season,” Andersen said. “Bruce was good on defense. Ryan and Nathan were solid contributors. Erich did not get as much time as we wanted, but he is a guy we knew we could count on.”

The Trojan season was a down, up, down affair. Plagued by injuries, illness and off-the-court missteps, the Trojans hit a 1-5 stretch in early January, bringing their record to 3-7 after a 64-46 shellacking at Mission. Not only were the Trojans struggling, they also lost to Lincoln County rival Libby in Troy. Libby’s road win, at print time, was the team’s only victory of the season.

Trojan tides changed when Noxon visited for Troy’s Throwback Night. Ghosts of Trojans past helped the team find its winning ways. The 47-35 victory would be an omen of wins to come.

The Trojans would go on to win nine-of-10 games, including a payback victory on Libby’s home court. The key to the Trojan transition was sophomore Sean Opland. A beast on the football field, Opland benefited from Andersen’s layup drills. With improved touch, the offensive rebounding machine started converting his put-back layups. The rise of junior wing Gage Tallmadge’s swag gave the Trojans an impressive three-headed scoring attack. Troy was at their best when finding the mohawked sharpshooter in the corner beyond the arc.

But tournament time was unkind to the Trojans. Consecutive three-point losses to Eureka and Plains earned Troy a fourth-place finish at the District 7-B tournament. Two more losses made it more of the same in Hamilton for the Western B divisional.

“It’s disappointing we did not do better in the tournaments,” Andersen said. “But I am proud of what we did this year.”

Florence 43, Troy 34:  At Hamilton, the Trojans lost in their first game at the Western B divisional. A 12-6 first-quarter lead evaporated for the Trojans when the Florence offense came to life in the second half. Troy led 15-12 at half, but Coach Andersen was thinking about the points left on the floor.

“We should have been up 25-12,” Andersen said. “We couldn’t make shots near the basket.”

Basketball is a game of runs. While it sounds elementary, the best teams find ways to extend their hot streaks while minimizing their opponents’ grooves. The Trojans were unable to do that Wednesday when Florence scored 13 third-quarter points and closed with an 18-point frame.

Troy: 12 3 8 11 – 34

Florence: 6 6 13 18 – 43