Slow start dooms Tecumseh against Butler

Slow start dooms Tecumseh against Butler

Tecumseh's Chase Culbertson dribbles the ball up
the floor against in a 46-27 loss to Butler last night.
Staff Photo by Bryant Billing

Arrows see limited shot opportunities and can’t slow hot-shooting Aviators.

By BRYANT BILLING

Sports Editor

VANDALIA — Scott Snarr’s writhing yell could be heard across the Student Activity Center. The senior guard fell to the floor and rolled in pain near the end of the first quarter, grabbing his injured ankle after landing awkwardly as a result of a shot attempt.

Snarr’s injury made an already slow start for the Arrows come to a grinding halt in a 46-27 loss to Vandalia Butler in a nonconference game Saturday. Tecumseh (1-2, 1-0 CBC Kenton Trail) was helpless against Butler’s strong defense and often found itself on the floor against the Aviators (2-2).

“At the start of the game, we just weren’t here, mentally or physically,” Tecumseh head coach Roger Culbertson said after the game. “We didn’t step on the court ready to go tonight. (Butler) obviously wanted it more than us. They played more physical than us and just made more things happen.”

Tecumseh wasn’t helped by Butler’s hot shooting on the night. The Aviators shot 50 percent from two-point range (16-for-32) and shot 46 percent from the field overall (19-for-41).

The Arrows struggled to get shot opportunities in the game, as they took only 34 shots from the field. Tecumseh had 17 turnovers in the game as well, and Culbertson said that hurt its offensive ability.

“You’ve got to make your own breaks,” Culbertson said. “I don’t think we executed very well offensively. We gave (Butler) a lot of easy baskets and lay ups with so many turnovers. We’ve got to take care of the ball and we’ve got to work hard enough to get good shots.”

Culbertson said Snarr’s early exit hurt Tecumseh’s momentum. Snarr, who sprained his ankle, had scored four of Tecumseh’s six points when he left the game in the first quarter.

“He’s obviously a captain for us, and when you lose someone like that, it obviously doesn’t help,” Culbertson said. “But the other kids still have to step in and play. That’s where we’re at right now — we’ve got some young kids on varsity trying to figure some things now and trying to work through some early season slumps.”

Tecumseh defeated Tippecanoe 37-34 on Friday night in both teams’ opening conference games. Culbertson said that game, which was back-and-forth, may have affected the Arrows against Butler.

“Anytime you lose, it’s a letdown,” Culbertson said. “You can’t have those highs and lows. You’ve got to come back and play another four quarters the next game.”

Butler jumped out to a 9-0 lead before Tecumseh scored. The Arrows didn’t score until the 4:00 mark in the first quarter on a basket from Snarr. Snarr added another basket before exiting.

Butler outscored Tecumseh 10-7 in the second quarter to take a 25-15 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Arrows couldn’t mount a comeback, as they managed only two baskets in the third quarter. They went on a 6-0 run in the final minute of the game to cut the final deficit to less than 20 points.

Culbertson said despite the loss, he was pleased with Tecumseh’s defensive effort.

“We played good defensively, but there are still some things to work on,” Culbertson said. “Anytime you hold (an opponent) to 46 points, you should be in a basketball game. We’ve got to figure out some things offensively and put the ball in the basket.”

Tecumseh’s biggest problem on offense was passing up on good shot opportunities according to Culbertson. Culbertson also credited Butler’s defense for causing problems in the game.

“We had some decent looks at times, but we didn’t take some shots when we should have,” Culbertson said. “We’ve got to believe in ourselves when you take a shot. If you miss a shot, you’ve got to think about the next shot and not worry about the miss. (Butler) played physical, and we backed down a little bit to that. Our kids just have to execute better.”

Tecumseh’s one bright spot was the play of senior guard Chase Culbertson, who is Culbertson’s son. Chase Culbertson led the Arrows with 14 points and 6 rebounds in the game. He also shot 5-for-6 from two-point range.

“I’m proud of him,” Culbertson said. “I’m proud of where he’s at. He plays hard and he wears his emotions out on his sleeve on the floor. He’s played as a team player and he’s trying to bring other kids along and help other players.”

Butler was one of five Greater Western Ohio Conference teams the Arrows have on their nonconference schedule. Tecumseh lost to Troy 63-46 in its season opener on Dec. 2, and it also has Northmont (Dec. 27), Springfield (Jan. 3), and Xenia (Feb. 14) in nonconference games. The Arrows, who play in Division I in basketball, schedule GWOC teams to prepare for the postseason.

“It’s a good experience,” Culbertson said. “Instead of playing smaller schools (in nonconference), we’ve got to play up to the level that we’re going to see in the tournament. We’ve got to learn from these games and get better because of them.”

Culbertson said that the CBC Kenton Trail Division remains the main focus for the team.

“These (nonconference) losses really don’t mean a hill of beans,” Culbertson said. “We’re undefeated in league play right now, and that’s our first goal and our first priority. We’ve taken the right step there. We’ve just got to learn from (nonconference) games. It’s a loss and, yeah, it hurts, but we have to learn from it.”