FRED
HOFFMAN, sports@mywebtimes.com, (815) 433-2005
SENECA -- On Tuesday night, the first three minutes of the Plano-Seneca Interstate
Eight Conference boys' varsity basketball contest belonged to the visiting Reapers.
But the next 29 minutes were all Seneca's.
All-stater Garrett Callahan accounted for 33 points, seven rebounds and five steals as the Fighting Irish sprinted to their 21st win of the season and improved to 9-0 in conference play with a 79-21 win over Plano.
Callahan pulled the Irish even on a trey with just over five minutes to play in the opening stanza and began what turned out to be a 14-2 Seneca run to close the initial period with the Irish in front 19-7.
Seneca then tallied the first eight points of the second frame before Will Brown made a free throw for Plano at the 5:16 mark. The Irish rang up the next 11 points, culminating on a bucket by Marty Hetelle at the horn, making it 38-8 at the break.
"After Plano went up on us 5-2 we got hot and started hitting on all cylinders defensively and offensively," said Seneca coach Doug Evans. "Of course Garrett was hot, and any time he is hot he hits a ton and he sets up so many other players, too."
Callahan was certainly on his game, racking up 13 points in the first period and 10 more in the second. Meanwhile Griffan Callahan, playing at the center position usually occupied by the injured Robert Rexroade, accounted for six rebounds in the first half.
Seneca closed out the third quarter with a seven-point run and extended it to 13 to begin the fourth, going up by 52.
Victor Diaz had a nice fourth quarter for the Reapers with three rebounds and an assist, while Jake Goldsmith scored the last six points for the purple-and-white.
"I think everybody was excited and a little nervous with Robert out," Evans said. "But Tyler Smith did a great job coming in. What I like is that Tyler is a different kind of player than Robert, but he played solid basketball and set up some guys for easy baskets and made some really nice passes early. He just blended in like he'd been starting forever. It was nice to see a different lineup come out there and succeed."
Griffan Callahan finiushed with 13 points and nine rebounds. Misener had nine points with three steals.
For Plano (9-13, 3-5), Goldsmith's six points were high for his team, with Brown and Diaz shared rebounding honors with five apiece and Alex Jensen made a couple of steals.
"We struggled in all phases of our game tonight and you have to play a perfect game to be within striking distance at the end," said Plano coach Nathan Spriggs. "We didn't do that."
"The guys who people would consider 'role players' on (Seneca's) team are much more than role players. They're exceptional basketball players from top to bottom of their roster, and it showed."
In the sophomore game, Seneca improved to 9-11, 3-6 with a 50-47 win over the Reapers.
PLANO (21) - Bott 1 0-0 2, Jensen 1 2-2 4, Agomo 1 0-0 2, Nelson 0 0-0 0, Brown 2 1-2 5, Priesman 0 0-0 0, Smith 0 0-0 0, Goldsmith 3 0-0 6, Campisi 0 0-0 0, Diaz 0 1-2 1, Loux 0 0-0 0, Kebbeh 0 0-0 0. Totals 8 4-6 21.
SENECA (79) - Hetelle 2 0-0 4, Hobbs 1 1-2 3, Ga.Callahan 13 4-5 33, Smith 0 0-0 0, Gr.Callahan 6 1-3 13, Evans 1 0-0 2, Misener 4 0-0 9, Hogue 1 0-0 2, Spicer 1 0-0 2, Schmanske 2 0-0 5, Paulsen 1 0-0 2, Underhill 1 0-0 2, Andreatta 0 0-0 0, Pearson 1 0-0 2. Totals 34 6-10 79.
Plano (9-13, 3-5) 7 1 6 7 - 21
Seneca (21-0, 9-0) 19 19 22 19 - 79
3-point baskets - Plano 1 (Bott), Seneca 5 (Ga. Callahan 3, Misener, Schmanske). Rebounds - Plano 18 (Diaz 5, Brown 5), Seneca 33 (Gr. Callahan 9). Assists - Plano 4 (4 each with 1), Seneca 22 (Evans 5). Steals - Plano 7 (Jensen 2), Seneca 21 (Ga. Callahan 5). Turnovers - Plano 21, Seneca 9. Total fouls (none fouled out) - Plano 7, Seneca 14. Free throw percentages - Plano 66.7, Seneca 60.0.