McIntosh’s sinks game-winner in Athens’ upset of rival Troy
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
TROY — In a game of stars, Caleb McIntosh had a chance to step up into the limelight. The senior gaurd from Troy Athens made the most if it.
McIntosh drained a 15-footer from near the top of the key with five seconds left and his teammates didn’t let Troy get off a late shot, as the host Red Hawks stunned highly-touted Troy, 62-61, in an OAA crossover boys basketball team in front of a near-capacity crowd.
Troy’s James Young, ranked as the state’s top junior, split a pair of free throws to give his team a 61-60 advantage with 1:00 left in the game. Athens (2-0) ran the clock down to under 10 seconds and McIntosh was able to get off an uncontested jumper to send his team past the Colts for the first time in several years.
“I just to get open,” said McIntosh. “It worked out just the way we wanted it to. We haven’t beat Troy in a while.”
Athens coach Dave Scott, who took over the program last season, knew his team could match Troy punch-for-punch. His Red Hawks sent a shockwave through the OAA that they are a team can play with some of the better programs in the area.
“James (Young) is a great player and we were a little worried about them getting the ball back and put it in his hands. We felt comfortable with our delay game and our three-guards up top, Tim Frieman, Aaron Fox and Caleb McIntosh, did a great job and Caleb McIntosh made a great shot. I think he’s one of the better players in our league and I’m shocked that nobody has recruited them much.”
Troy coach Gary Fralick realized that his team had a foul to give, but his players didn’t execute. He also didn’t like his team’s defense in the waning seconds.
“We started to wake up and play pretty well in the second half,” said Fralick. “But then you give up the shot at the end. We were hoping to recognize that we had a foul to give. We had mentioned it in a time out. We didn’t do it. (Athens) went into their triangle delay game and we’re able to get off that last shot. I didn’t like (the room) we gave them.
“We had the game basically won. We missed some (late free throws). We were not good from the line,” sighed Fralick. “It’s disappointing, but the only good thing about (the game) was that it was early in the season. It’s always tough when you lose to your cross-town rival and you don’t play well at all in the first half.”
McIntosh and senior guard Marcarious Coakley formed a fine 1-2 punch for Athens against Young and the Colts. The 6-foot-2 McIntosh finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals, while the 6-3 Coakley had a game- and career-high 27 points, 11 rebounds and three steals.
Athens came out sizzling, turning a 5-5 tie with 3:35 left in the first quarter into an 18-9 at the end of the period. In the second quarter, the Red Hawks continued to maintain a lead of no less than seven points and went into the break holding a 34-24 advantage.
Troy, a state-ranked team in the preseason, slowly whittled at the defict in the third quarter, going on a 25-15 spurt to take a 49-47 lead with 32 seconds left in the third frame.
Athens’ Tim Frieman tied the game at 49-49 with one tick left in the third, one of the five lead changes or three ties during the final 8:32 of the contest.
Troy eventually built a trio of four-point leads of 55-51, 57-53 and 59-55, but could not hold on to the upper hand.
Athens eventually tied the game at 60-60 with a deep three by Coakley with 1:19 to play.
Young finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, six steals, two blocks and two assists despite playing the final 12 minutes with four fouls. Sophomore guard Maceo Baston scored a team-high 21 points with four boards, junior Zach Noor added eight points and 6-4 Jeff Holmes cleaned up six points and six rebounds for the Colts (1-1). Sophomore forward Danny Wunderlich hauled down eight rebounds.
Troy finished 19-for-54 from the floor and converted only 18-of-34 free throws
Frieman added six points and three assists, while 6-8 junior Jeff Koch supplied four points, seven rebounds and a pair of blocked shots for Athens.
“I can’t say enough about the fans, the atmosphere. This is what high school basketball is all about,” said Scott. “(There was a) couple thousand people in the gym and (it was) one heckuva game.”
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Category: High School, High School (M-Z), Prep Wraps, Troy, Troy Athens
