By Grant Egger - sports@enterprisepub.com
Fort Calhoun junior Eli Tinkham was asked to explain how the Pioneers got so hot from beyond the 3-point arc Thursday at Logan View/Scribner-Snyder.
“We had a good warmup,” he said. “I think that's what started it.”
In the end, though, coach TJ O'Connor's squad knocked down 13 long-range shots to beat the Raiders 63-55. The successful night from behind the 3-point-line secured the Pioneers' third win of the season — two days before they earned their fourth against Wisner-Pilger.
Tinkham may have been the catalyst against Logan View, sinking all three of his made 3-pointers during FCHS' 14-point opening period. Kade Foy recognized the effort.
“It made me start to want to shoot and then it led to Travis (Skelton) hitting shots,” said Tinkham's junior classmate. “I just think Eli started it all.”
Foy sank two 3s during the second period and three more during the third, finishing with five long-range makes total. The Pioneer led his team in scoring for the night with 19 points.
Skelton, meanwhile, added 10 FCHS points with three 3-point makes during the second half. Jaxson Burns and Adam Elofson knocked down shots from beyond the arc, too, with Elofson's coming in crunch time. The junior guard's rainbow 3 with less than a minute left in the game was the result of a hustle play and offensive rebound, which allowed the Pioneers to run time off of the shot and game clock twice as it protected its lead.
Calhoun led by double-digits during the final quarter, but it had to straighten up to hold off the Raiders, Foy said.
“We had a 2-minute stretch where we weren't playing to win,” he explained. “But, then, we started playing to win.”
When asked what was key to the victory, Tinkham said, “Not playing scared. We just kept attacking.”
FCHS tops Gators by 21
Calhoun added its second win a row Saturday at home against Wisner-Pilger.
The Pioneers jumped out to a 21-6 lead through 8 minutes and won, 65-44. As they improved to 4-7, the Gators dropped to 2-8.
Foy led Coach O'Connor's squad with four more 3-point makes and 17 points, while Tinkham totaled two and 13, respectively. Skelton and Elofson scored nine points apiece, too.
Regan Raabe, meanwhile, led Wisner in defeat with 14 points.
FCHS next hosts Louisville at 7:30 p.m. today.
FCHS BASKETBALL LINE SCORES
Saturday
Fort Calhoun 65, Wisner-Pilger 44
W-P (2-8) 6 14 13 11 — 44
FCHS (4-7) 21 18 20 6 — 65
Scoring: FCHS — Kade Foy 17, Eli Tinkham 13, Travis Skelton 9, Adam Elofson 9, Dylan Keyser 6, Blake Welchert 5, Colby Bentley 4, Jaxson Burns 2.
W-P — Regan Raabe 14, Jase Alexander 10, Jaxon Knoell 9, Kevin John Jr. 7, Sylas Delmot 3, Brandon Stoffel 1.
Thursday
Fort Calhoun 63, Logan View/Scribner-Snyder 55
FCHS (3-7) 14 14 21 14 — 63
LVSS (3-6) 13 16 13 13 — 55
Scoring: FCHS — Foy 19, Keyser 13, Tinkham 11, Skelton 10, Elofson 5, Burns 5.
LVSS — Josh Egbers 19, Grayson Kraus 16, Matson Beacom 11, Anthony Oberg 3, Cooper Kahlandt 2, Truman Young 2, Nolan Robley 2.