No. 2 Bluffton is no test for Tipton

By BRYAN GASKINS
Tribune sportswriter

December 30, 2008 11:24 pm

— NEW CASTLE — The opening game of the City Securities Hall of Fame boys basketball tournament featured a pair of Class 2A powers, No. 1-ranked Tipton and No. 2 Bluffton.
Tipton proved more than ready for the challenge.
The Blue Devils led all the way in whipping the Tigers 49-36 Tuesday morning at New Castle Fieldhouse. The Blue Devils held a double-digit advantage throughout the final three quarters, leading by as many as 24 points before cruising to the 13-point win.
“They are a good team,” Bluffton coach Wayne Barker said of the Blue Devils. “They are well-coached and they have a great system of play for the players they have. I congratulate them — they took it to us.”
Tipton improved to 8-0 while Bluffton (7-1) saw its 28-game regular-season winning streak end.
Class 4A No. 8 Franklin Central beat Lafayette Jeff 65-43 in the second semifinal. Purdue recruit Patrick Bade led the Flashes with 26 points. The Bronchos played without leading scorer Jesse Berry, who is serving a suspension.
Tipton took control in the first quarter when it forced Bluffton into eight turnovers. On the other end of the floor, the Devils knocked down 7 of 12 shots. Guards Brad Dickey and Jake Hoffman combined for 10 points to lead the Devils to a 16-7 advantage.
Dickey and Hoffman each hit 3-pointers early in the second quarter to stretch the Devils’ lead to 22-8 as the Tigers continued to bleed turnovers.
“Defensively, we were really solid early,” Tipton coach Travis Daugherty said. “Not that it was perfect, but our effort was outstanding, we stuck to the game plan well and I think we made life more difficult for them than maybe what their opponents had to this point.
“They have so many weapons and so many kids who, in the right kind of game, can do some damage. We were fortunate to be able to dictate the way the game was played and that gave us a big advantage.”
Tipton held a 22-12 lead midway through the second quarter when Mr. Basketball candidate Derek Elston took over. The IU recruit scored nine points in the final 3:14 of the quarter to send his squad into halftime with a comfortable 31-14 lead. He capped his scoring spree with a 3-pointer from the top of the key in the closing seconds.
“Derek is so versatile and capable of moving all over the floor,” Daugherty said, noting Elston keeps a defense on its heels. “The post moves he made, I think, show how much stronger he’s become and how aggressive he is in the post. But his ability to knock down jump shots, like the 3 right before halftime, that is the thing that really separates him from a lot of guys.”
The Devils played with a comfortable lead throughout the second half, which allowed Daugherty to empty his bench. The Tigers closed the game on an 8-1 run to make the final score look somewhat more respectable.
Dickey finished with a game-high 17 points and a team-high five rebounds and Elston followed with 14 points. Hoffman added 11 points in a reserve role.
“[Hoffman] is so solid. He doesn’t make many mistakes,” Daugherty said. “He has always fundamentally been good, but he has gotten bigger and stronger and more aggressive. He has become a key part to what we do.”
Also for Tipton, forward Kyle Coleman dished four assists and grabbed four rebounds.
Brock Woodward, a 6-7 center, scored 13 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for Bluffton.