Game Report: Edgerton 65, Beloit Turner 58

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>KEYS TO THE GAME</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='3019835' first='Charlie' last='Johnson'] of Edgerton sat most of the first half with foul issues. He picked up his third foul with 7:51 left in the opening half and his teammates struggling to keep pace with visiting Beloit Turner, which had jumped to a 21-12 advantage. However, a late scoring flurry -- capped by a step-back three-point basket from the top of the key from junior [player_tooltip player_id='2508634' first='Vinny' last='Fox'] as the first-half horn sounded -- kept Edgerton within 32-29 of the visiting Trojans in Tuesday's Rock Valley Conference showdown before a large crowd. With Johnson on the floor in the second half, Edgerton was better equipped to keep Turner senior [player_tooltip player_id='2879389' first='Chris' last='Johnson'] off the offensive glass. [player_tooltip player_id='3019835' first='Charlie' last='Johnson'] and junior Drake Springstead limited [player_tooltip player_id='2879389' first='Chris' last='Johnson'] to just six points in the second 18 minutes after he had 11 in the first half. Edgerton also got some clutch three-point baskets from [player_tooltip player_id='2956247' first='Drew' last='Coombs'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2731454' first='Eli' last='Kittleson'], and [player_tooltip player_id='3019837' first='Mitchell' last='Coombs'] and Kittleson made some pressure foul shots in the last minute to help the Crimson Tide pull out the important victory. Both Edgerton and Turner are expected to contend all winter for the Rock Division title in the Rock Valley so Edgerton landed the first blow in the race to the championship with its impressive triumph.<br><br><strong>STAR OF THE GAME</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3019835"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69423d816c2c3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Johnson's value to Edgerton was never more evident than in Tuesday's win over Beloit Turner. With Johnson on the bench for most of the first half with foul problems. Turner's [player_tooltip player_id='2879389' first='Chris' last='Johnson'] dominated the rebounding battle, particularly on the offensive end of the floor. And that helped the Trojans to a 32-29 halftime lead. [player_tooltip player_id='3019835' first='Charlie' last='Johnson'] returned to play most of the second half and kept his opponent from controlling the glass which, in turn, helped Edgerton to grab the lead and eventually the victory. Offensively, [player_tooltip player_id='3019835' first='Charlie' last='Johnson'] also made a huge contribution, scoring eight of his 10 points after intermission. With the strength and size to battle underneath but also the skill to step outside to make passes and three-point shots, [player_tooltip player_id='3019835' first='Charlie' last='Johnson'] is a senior to watch in the Rock Valley this winter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>EMERGING PLAYERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2508634"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-694240f3ac038"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The son of Edgerton coach Daryl Fox, [player_tooltip player_id='2508634' first='Vinny' last='Fox'] is flawless with the ball in his hands as Edgerton's lead guard. He runs the team with unselfishness, solid passing skills and impressive poise. He came into Tuesday's game with exactly one turnover in three games and he didn't turn the ball over much against Turner's constant pressure. In addition to running his team and playing solid perimeter defense, Fox scored 10 points, including that sweet step-back three at the end of the first half. Also a standout tennis player, Fox is extremely skilled and smart, traits that will pay dividends for the Crimson Tide throughout the season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2731454"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-694240f3ac089"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Kittleson isn't particularly big, but he packs a powerful punch with his physical strength, undeterred confidence and smooth jump shot. The junior combination guard concluded the game against Beloit Turner with 17 points, and he hit some huge three-point shots for the Crimson Tide as they overcame a three-point halftime deficit. Kittleson had three triples and also stepped up to the line and swished two clutch foul shots in the final minute of the game to keep Beloit Turner at arm's length. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2879389"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-694240f3ac167"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Johnson was a beast on the glass and gave his team several second- and third-chance scoring chances with his relentless rebounding prowess. He also was able to finish well around the basket, scoring 17 points while also drawing several fouls on Edgerton defenders. Johnson can step away from the basket to move the ball and pass to cutters toward the basket. He can also defend in the paint and on the perimeter for the Trojans. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2635197"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-694240f3ac1d0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Dotson definitely can put some pressure on opposing guards with his in-your-face defense. He also can push the ball with the best of them to help his team get early scoring opportunities. A veteran player with multiple years of varsity experience, Dotson finished with 10 points for the Trojans in their narrow loss to Edgerton. He rarely came off the floor because of his consistent ball handling, passing and scoring skills. He's also a strong leader for a Beloit Turner squad that figures to contend for the Rock Division title in 2025-26. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>THE BIG PICTURE</strong><br><br>Beloit Turner slipped to 3-2 with its second straight loss after opening the year with three consecutive victories. The Trojans are 2-1 in league play and host Brodhead in another conference outing on Friday. Beloit Turner also has an outing with Winnebago, Ill., next Tuesday before breaking for Christmas. <br><br>Edgerton moved to 3-0 in Rock Valley play and 3-1 overall with its win over Beloit Turner. The Crimson Tide travel to Big Foot Friday for another league outing before hosting Division 2 De Forest on Saturday. <br><br><strong>FROM THE COACHES<br><br>From Beloit Turner Coach Ken Watkins:</strong><br>"They finished with 10 threes and we didn't run them off the line as much as I would have liked. It was a good high school basketball game that could have gone either way. We couldn't get some big shots to fall late the game. We had three turkeys (three stops in a row) in the first half, but none in the second half and that hurt us."<br><br><strong>From Edgerton Coach Daryl Fox:</strong><br>"In the first half, we were shooting early on every possession. We weren't reversing the ball at all. We did a much better job of being patient in the second half. We made them work more on defense and waited for good scoring opportunities. It was a really good atmosphere tonight with our band here and the big crowd. There's not a Turner vs Edgerton game that doesn't have a big crowd."<br><br><strong>BOXSCORE<br><br>Beloit Turner (32-26 = 58)</strong><br>Dotson 10, Johnson 17, Atkinson 8, Hollis 8, Njoo 3, Lomax 3, Wightman 9, Bramble 0. Three-point field goals: Wightman 3, Dotson 1. FT: 14-22. Fouled out: None. Record: 3-2. <br><strong>Edgerton (29-36 = 65)</strong><br>D. Coombs 9, Fox 10, Backhaus 4, Kittleson 17, Johnson 10, M. Coombs 5, Aleson 5, Scharlau 3, Mallory 2, Springstead 0. Three-point field goals: Kittleson 3, D. Coombs 2, Fox 2, Aleson 1, Scharlau 1, Johnson 1. FT: 9-15. Fouled out: Springstead. Record: 4-1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->