Campbell stung by foul shots in defeat

By JON MOFFETT

jmoffett@vindy.com

SALEM

Perhaps the best way to kill a bee is to simply let it sting you and allow it to destroy itself.

But a hornet is another animal altogether, and will only continue to sting once engaged. Campbell Memorial High found that out the hard way in a 64-56 loss to East Canton High Friday.

Poor shooting stung the Red Devils (19-4) and allowed the Hornets (23-0) to stay in the game.

With the win, the Hornets advanced to the regional semifinal in the Division III tournament.

The team completed the first undefeated season in the program’s history and captured its first district championship since 2001.

“We’ve been playing a lot better in the past few games,” said East Canton head coach Chad Spurgeon. “We didn’t make everything, but we’re getting used to the basket.”

What the Hornets did make was ultimately the deciding factor.

The Hornets had a whopping 35 trips to the free throw line, and made 24 of those attempts.

The Red Devils didn’t fare nearly as well, making only 11 of their 23 attempts.

A beleaguered Brian Danilov could barely find his words when addressing the media after the game. He said leaving so many points on the John A. Cabas gym floor in Salem was disappointing.

“Free throws,” he said. “That was it. There it is.”

Free throws were aplenty during the game. Both teams were called for a total of 23 fouls in the first half. And both squads were in the bonus early in the second quarter.

But neither team adapted to the officiating in the second half. A combined 50 fouls were called for both teams.

In contrast, the teams combined for only 38 field goals.

Danilov said if his team had capitalized and made its free throws, the outcome could’ve been in Campbell’s favor.

But the Red Devils also seemed to lose some focus and energy as the game progressed. What were competitive struggles for the ball early in the game became sluggish attempts which led to many extra possessions for the Hornets.

Danilov said when the team began to fade the composure followed suit.

“That’s one thing you need to do to win a championship is get those 50-50 balls,” he said. “That and make free throws.”

The Red Devils looked to have the game in hand as they took a 17-7 lead into the second quarter. They were also in the bonus with 28 seconds left in the opening quarter.

But the advantage didn’t work, as the Red Devils made only three of their nine first-half foul shots.

Danilov said poor free-throw shooting early may have been a factor down the stretch.

“Then you start missing foul shots and your confidence goes down,” he said.

While the Red Devils flamed out from the line, the Hornets made no buzz about their free chances.

Senior Zell Bradley and junior Ryan Burfield combined for 45 Hornet points. The pair also went 20 of 27 from the charity stripe, making clutch shots late in the game.

Bradley finished with 22 points and helped run the offense.

Spurgeon said the 5-foot-8 guard plays much bigger and is a main asset to the team and its success.

“Zell had a wonderful game,” he said. “He had to handle a lot of pressure for us. And sometimes he has to take on two or three guys [on defense].”

Bradley also was a key component late, scoring 18 of his points in the second half.

Burfield had an equally impressive night, and even outscored his teammate by one.

The 5-foot-11 guard made five 3-pointers and added another six points from the line.

When asked about his team’s shaky start, Spurgeon said it’s expected for high school students in such imposing circumstances. He said the players were “over-excited” at times.

“You’re certainly all pumped up [for the game],” he said. “But your body is spent.”