February 27, 2004 - University of Dayton Arena

By Bob Moore - Editor cccbasketball.com

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Was it Jekyll or was it Hyde? It was the Yin and the yang. If you witnessed the Tri-Village / Southeastern game tonight, you walked away dazed and confused if you were a Patriot fan.

This game was a microcosm of the season. In the first half the Patriots played possibly their best half of basketball this season against a very good South Charleston Southeastern team. In the second half you really got a taste of how good Southeastern could be and the things that frustrated TV all year.

In the first quarter the Patriots hit on their first three shots to the hoop. Corey Jay, Sam Lindamood and a Kyler Burns three find the Pats up 7 - 3 with over 2 minutes gone in the quarter. Matt Poole of SE would drain a three pointer and a deuce to bring the Trojans up 7 - 8. The teams would trade baskets and the lead throughout the rest of the quarter and Patriots would get a Cameron Quinn bucket to fall with a second left in the quarter as he gets fouled. Quinn converts at the line and the Pats lead after one 18 - 17.

In the second quarter the Patriots continue to shine as Jay starts the quarter off with a bucket. SE would continue to counter with Poole to stay within 3 until Kyler Burns hits a 3 at the 5:13 mark to put the Pats up by 6. But on the next time down the floor for SE, Senior Wade Rice would hit the second of his five 3 pointers and the Patriots remain on top 27 - 24. The Patriots get some great plays and hustle this quarter as Jay fights for a rebound and get a SE turnover. At the 3:50 mark, Kyler gets a beautiful pass to Jay for two and TV is up 29 - 24. Southeastern would go on a 6 points run to go up 1 with 39 seconds left. However, Sam Lindamood would get a huge put back off a Jay miss to put the Pats up 31 - 30 at half time. At this point the TV Faithful is feeling good so far.

In the third TV would score the first bucket on a goal tending call on Poole on a Corey Jay ball and go up 33 - 30. For the next 7 minutes and 40 seconds the quarter belongs to Southeastern as they shut TV down to 2 points in the 3rd and score 25 of their own. Matt Poole and Wade Rice would put on a clinic on offense for the quarter and the SE Defense jacks up the intensity BIG TIME over the patriots for a 2 -- 25 point run in the third period. Poole and Rice combine for 19 of the 25 scored in the quarter. The exclamation point was a NBA 3 pointer from Rice at the buzzer in the quarter to give Southeastern the lead at 52 - 33!

More of the same in the fourth. The Patriots would not actually have a ball fall throw the hoop until Burns puts in 2 at the 4:02 mark in the quarter (remember the first bucket of the half was a goal tending). Ryan Snyder comes off the bench to give the Pats their final score of the night with 58 seconds left in the game. Southeastern would outscore TV 39 to 6 in the second half to win 69 - 37.

Coach Falknor was obviously disappointed with the second half. He noted SE stepped up the defensive intensity... and "we didn't take care of the ball at all." Coach Falknor stated he was excited at half time because it was probably the best half of basketball they had played all year... and he felt they matched up well against Southeastern. "I had the feeling all week we could win this game." "Give them credit, they are an outstanding ball team"

TV finishes the year 12 - 10

Box Score

Tri-Village
Jay - 12
Burns - 8
Lindamood - 8
Ary - 4
Quinn - 3
Snyder - 2
Total - 37

Southeastern
Poole - 30
W. Rice - 20
Martin - 7
Workman - 4
Chadeayne - 4
J. Rice - 2
Graves - 2
Total - 69