BY FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com
Grant Coleman had 18 points and nine rebounds on Saturday, but M-S dropped a 70-59 decision to Normal West in the Taylorville Shootout.
Cole Lener contributed 17 points and nine rebounds for the Bulldogs.
M-S trailed 18-15 after one quarter and 39-33 at halftime before securing a brief third-quarter lead.
“The Bulldogs fell behind from the gate and struggled to get stops the entire first half,” M-S coach Ryan Bosch said. “Our strength had become our starts to games and we were not ready to play.
“Credit to Normal West that they came out and hit some outside shots, stretching our defense.”
Braden Finch and Eli Warren each added nine points for M-S. Warren posted a team-high four assists. Kobe Essien ended with four rebounds and three steals.
“The Bulldogs had it as a one-possession game and threatened to get a turnover with a loose ball at halfcourt, but the ball bounced to the lone Wildcat in the frontcourt for a layup,” Bosch said. “We were forced to chase them a bit after that and could not make enough timely shots.”
At the recent State Farm Classic, Coleman not only was named to the large-school division all-tournament team, but also was the top scorer, totaling 80 points in four games.
M-S (7-6) returns to action on Tuesday at Effingham as the team seeks to improve on its 3-0 Apollo Conference record.
