Rising Sun opened its season with new coach Rick Scholl this past week with many exciting and not so exciting moments in a pair of losses.
The season opened in exciting fashion with Rising Sun battling South Dearborn to the wire coming up a point short, 61-60 on a night honoring the Indiana National Guard.
Senior Nick Koons scored a game high 23 points including a pair of go ahead free throws with 20.3 seconds remaining.
South Dearborn had a drive to the basket for the go ahead score that was swatted away by the Shiners. However, SD’s Alex Shackelford got the loose ball and drove to the basket where he was fouled. The 5’11” junior guard hit two free throws with .8 seconds remaining to seal the win for the Knights.
Shackelford led the visitors with 21 points including 6-for-7 at the line.
Unlike a year ago, when SD fans stormed the court prematurely after a game winning shot, Knights fans remained in their cheer section.
The game was a back and forth affair through with nine lead changes including three in the opening quarter that ended in a 12-12 tie after a 3-pointer by senior Noah Pflum. Classmate Jake Bovard and another Pflum 3-pointer kept the Shiners in the lead before SD took a 23-20 advantage on a 3-pointer by Ethan Getz.
Senior Wes Rider gave Rising Sun the lead at 25-24 and Koons hit another 3-pointer. They took a 32-26 lead into halftime but not before Koons was saddled with his third foul inside the final two minutes.
Rising Sun took the largest lead of the night, 38-28, to force SD to call time out with 4:43 left in the third quarter.
The Shiners led by nine when Shackelford was fouled on a made 3-pointer and completed the rare four point play. Rising Sun took a 46-39 lead into the final eight minutes.
Shackelford led the fourth quarter comeback with 11 of his points.
The Knights managed to pull even at 54 and 56 but Rider’s 3-pointer gave the Shiners a 59-56 lead.
Rising Sun had four players in double figures. Koons had 23 along with three 3-pointers. Rider had 13 with a 3-pointer and eight rebounds. Pflum had 12 points and two 3-pointers and Bovard added 11 points with two 3-pointers.
TJ Manifold had a basket but the 6’ junior grabbed 15 rebounds in his varsity debut.
The Shiners finished with 13-for-29 from two point range and 8-for-14 from behind the arc and 11-for-13 at the line unofficially.
SD was 13-for-25 plus 7-for-12 behind the arc and 15-for-21 at the line. They had nine turnovers to 18 for the Shiners.
The Knights had four players in double figures Isiah Jefferson had 11 with Chris Moeller and Ethan Getz scored 0 each behind Shackelford’s 21.
Rising Sun traveled to South Ripley for the first of two games against Ohio River Valley Conference foe Raiders.
A disastrous fourth quarter saw the Shiners outscored 14-1 en route to a 45-24 loss.
The game was tied twice early before the Raiders pulled ahead 13-10 after eight minutes.
South Ripley held an 18-14 advantage at the half. South Ripley pulled ahead 31-23 after three quarters.
Cody Samples scored 12 of his game high 20 points, including three 3-pointers in the second half.
Koons led the Shiners with 10 including 8-for-10 at the free throw line and five rebounds. Bovard had five points and five boards. Pflum scored three with Rider, Manifold and Cole had two each.
Unofficially, Rising Sun was 5-for-21 from two point range and 2-for-14 from behind the arc and 8-for-12 at the line.
The Raiders were 11-for-23 plus 7-for-13 behind the arc and 2-for-6 at the line.
The Shiners had 14 turnovers to six for the Raiders.
Rising Sun returns home to host South Decatur on Saturday. IT will be the annual band floor show between reserve and varsity games.