Third quarter run dooms Demon boys

The Washington boys? basketball team had its chances late in the game, but came up just short on Tuesday night.

The Demons saw their last couple of shot attempts rim out before the buzzer, and couldn?t recover from a big Fort Madison run, falling 57-54 in a conference matchup.

?It was an interesting ballgame and close at halftime,? Washington head coach Bryce Smeins said. ?(Fort Madison) went on a run in the third quarter and we never could get over the hump to take the lead. They made a few more shots than we did.?

The Demons fall to 3-6 with the loss (1-2 in conference action) and now will focus its attention on Mt. Pleasant for Friday night.

Leading the charge for the Demons was sophomore Jack Redlinger, who came off the bench to notch a team-high 13 points in the loss. Redlinger also had four rebounds (three offensive rebounds) and two steals in the contest.

?I thought he had his best game of the year,? Smeins said. ?He played hard on both ends, had great effort and rebounded. He plays hard when he goes, and if he knocks a few shots down, he?s pretty good.?

Bryce Sinn (12) and Derek Anding (11) also reached double figures in scoring for Washington, while John Dillon grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds.

Sophomore Dalton Myers had nine points and four assists coming off the bench for Washington.

The Demons and Bloodhounds each played tight in the first half, with no team pulling out to more than a four-point lead through the first two quarters.

Washington finished the first half on a 7-2 run to take a 21-19 lead at the break, but the third quarter is where the Bloodhounds found a rhythm.

After trading 3-pointers to start the second half, Fort Madison went on a 17-3 run to grab a 39-27 lead.

Washington clawed its way back with the help of a pair of Redlinger 3-pointers, and eventually got within one point after a Redlinger putback on a missed free throw.

Fort Madison converted a pair of free throws with 52.8 seconds left in the contest, and Washington couldn?t convert on multiple opportunities on the final possession to end the game.

?We just need to keep getting better on offense and defense. We need to make the little plays. Late in the game they had an offensive rebound and a putback to put them up by three, and if we get that rebound, we are playing for the lead. Every play counts, and we weren?t great from the line tonight.

Washington finished the game 6-for-11 from the free-throw line.

The Demons will look to rebound against Mt. Pleasant on Friday night, and after a tough loss, Smeins thinks a rivalry game is exactly what his team needs.

?It?s Mt. Pleasant on Friday night, so it?s a big rivalry for our guys,? Smeins said. ?Our guys wanted to win tonight, and it?s a quick turnaround. We have two days to get ready, so we have to have a short memory.?

Tipoff for the game at Mt. Pleasant will be at 7:30 p.m.