By ANDREW FEEBACK
FORT WAYNE — It’s hard to beat a team that never seems to miss.
The Norwell boys’ basketball team was on the receiving end of a phenomenal shooting performance from the Fort Wayne Wayne Generals Tuesday night, and the Knights took an 80-55 loss on the road.
Wayne (9-3) made a staggering 16 of 28 from beyond the arc, with all those shots spread out among just four players.
Jevon Lewis did most of the damage, knocking down 9 of 16 and finishing with 31 points. Preston Comer threw in four more as the Generals finished 32 of 48 from the field overall.
Norwell (7-5) had some hot shooting of its own early on, trading triples with the Generals for the first few minutes. The teams combined to make eight three-point shots before either team scored from inside the arc.
The Knights trailed by just a point when the first quarter ended and were only down 26-24 midway through the second.
“I thought offensively, in the first half, we played really well,” Norwell coach Mike McBride said. “We took good shots, we were patient (and) we moved the basketball. I thought that was really good. We did what we had to do to have a chance to be in the game. The hard part was, we just couldn’t stop them.”
Chase Barnes scored five quick points, drawing a Norwell timeout.
Four free throws from Ashton Federspiel sandwiched around a three-pointer from Qualon Miles had the Knights within eight at the break.
But the Knights were down 12 quickly to begin the second half after two quick baskets from HJ Dillard.
“We needed a stop and then a score, and then a stop and a score,” McBride said. “I thought that was really important that we get that. We had the missed shot, we just didn’t get the rebound. Then they scored on it, then we had a turnover and they scored, and right away I’m calling timeout.”
Lewis took over in the third quarter, hitting three more deep ones as Wayne pushed its lead to 15.
Two more long ones from Miles and Comer had the Generals up 57-38 after three.
Norwell had a bit of a burst early in the fourth quarter to pull within 62-47, but Wayne scored the next six points, and the Knights emptied the bench with four minutes to play.
“We tried to chip away, but they were just too good offensively tonight,” McBride said. “That was really what it came down to.”
A statistical oddity that rarely happens in a basketball game, but wasn’t entirely surprising given how many outside shots the Generals took, was that Wayne did not shoot a free throw the entire game.
But free throws are hardly necessary for a team whose top scorer is practically hitting shots from the parking lot at times and even while being contested. There really wasn’t much else the Knights could have done.
Norwell will head to Bellmont Friday night for a conference clash with the Braves, who are having their best season in quite some time.
The JV Knights defeated the Generals in double overtime, 49-46. Nick McBride scored 16 points and Brady Smith had 14, while Garry Riley and Drew Jolley both added five.
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FORT WAYNE WAYNE 80,
NORWELL 55
At Fort Wayne Wayne
NORWELL (7-5): Cade Shelton 1-3 0-1 2, Caiden Petrie 1-1 0-0 3, Garry Riley 0-0 0-0 0, Brady Smith 0-0 1-2 1, Kaedyn Quintanilla 1-5 2-2 5, Adam McBride 4-8 2-2 12, Trace Moser 0-0 0-0 0, Owen Wallis 0-1 0-0 0, Cohen Bailey 0-5 0-0 0, Nick McBride 1-2 0-0 2, Ashton Federspiel 9-12 8-8 28, Ryne Thornton 0-1 0-0 0. TOTALS: 17-38 13-15 55.
FORT WAYNE WAYNE (9-3): Ki’Shawn Toles 0-0 0-0 0, Jevon Lewis 11-19 0-0 31, Kharrington Terry 1-1 0-0 2, Qualon Miles 3-3 0-0 8, Chase Barnes 2-7 0-0 5, Preston Comer 8-10 0-0 20, HJ Dillard 6-6 0-0 12, Khalyn Williams-Thomas 0-0 0-0 0, Lashawn Green 0-0 0-0 0, Tyree Eldridge 1-1 0-0 2, Tre’Von Zeigler 0-1 0-0 0, London Miles 0-0 0-0 0, Ziare Sullivan 0-0 0-0 0, Orayne Bragg 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 32-48 0-0 80.
Norwell 18 10 10 17 — 55
Wayne 19 17 21 23 — 80
Three-point Field Goals: Norwell 6-19 (Adam McBride 2-6, Federspiel 2-3, Petrie 1-1, Quintanilla 1-4, Wallis 0-1, Nick McBride 0-1, Bailey 0-3), Fort Wayne Wayne 16-28 (Lewis 9-16, Comer 4-5, Miles 2-2, Barnes 1-5). Rebounds: Norwell 16 (Federspiel 4, Shelton 4, Adam McBride 3, Smith 2, Bailey 2, Riley 1), Fort Wayne Wayne 17 (Comer 5, Dillard 4, Lewis 3, Miles 2, Sullivan 2, Terry 1). Turnovers: Norwell 9, Fort Wayne Wayne 3. Fouls: Norwell 5, Fort Wayne Wayne 10. Fouled out: None. Technicals: None.
JV: Norwell 49, Fort Wayne Wayne 46, 2OT.
