Devils unable to find rhythm in 58-30 defeat at Saltfork
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By Nolan Morse
Saltfork would begin Tuesday’s night matchup in a stifling full court press defense that wrecked havoc on the Villa Grove Blue Devils. Extreme ball pressure caused the Devils to cough up multiple turnovers that led to a 14-0 start for Saltfork. The Devils wouldn’t come across their first points until center Eamon Reedy would make 1 of 2 free throws in the middle of the first quarter.
And after their inability to inbound the ball continued and two turnovers on offense via charges, the Devils would enter the second quarter down 25-5.
The Devils would then begin the second quarter with turnovers on their first two possessions. It was clear at this point most of the players had already given up. Multiple forced shots were thrown up not only missing the rim but the entire basket, players were not getting back on defense as Saltfork had every fast break they wanted, and easy inside touches all led to a 32-11 deficit at halftime.
The second half started exactly the same way, the Devils not scoring until a catch and shoot 3 from senior guard Jackson Gilles. It was here the Devils gained momentum, mostly brought from Gilles.
The senior guard would end the game with a team high 11 points, but it was his hustle that stood out the most. Gilles, despite his smaller size, would fight for every offensive rebound, grabbing multiple in the process, his hustle never wavered despite the score as he was the one often leading the Devils back on defense; Gilles played his hardest every chance he got.
The fourth quarter was easily the best for the Devils as they began to find their rhythm on offense. Sophomore guard Tucker Mcgarigle had two dazzling layups this quarter, each time finishing through extreme contact. The Blue Devils were most successful when they were playing their fastest. Many of their 4th quarter buckets came from transition scores, where they would come down with a rebound and not stop running till they scored on the other end.
Ultimately there would be no fourth quarter surge and the Devils ended up falling 58-30 making them a now 4-6.