Anna, Billing overtake Russia
By Tim Langevin
The much-anticipated Anna-Russia battle lived up to its billing. Derek Billing.
The smooth operating, point guard scored 29 points and collected seven rebounds to elevate the Rockets past the Raiders 56-44 Friday night in Shelby County League boys basketball.
“He is the best,” Anna coach Matt Meyer said. “He scored. He made foul shots down the stretch. He rebounded. He is a great all around player.”
But Meyer was quick to add, “This team has balance. Very unselfish. It wouldn’t surprise me if Wes Hunsucker or somebody else scores 16 points the next game.”
This night, though, belonged to Derek Billing. The senior leader scored five points in the first quarter, four in the second, seven in the third, and 13 in the fourth.
And it was all done quietly because he let the flow of the game come to him.
Levi Francis scored first on a post move down the lane to give Russia the short-lived 2-0 lead. Billing took the inbounds pass and dribbled at mach speed coast-to-coast for the tying lay up.
The Raiders surged ahead 5-2 on a Andy Toller free throw and a Tyler Goubeaux double-clutch lay up, but then Billing responded with a hard drive to the bucket and was fouled in the act. He made 1-of-2 free throws.
Toller scored off a missed shot and then Billing went hop, skip, and jump for another inside score, before Jacob Hoying scored on a nifty up and under move to end the quarter. The scoreboard read: Russia 09 Billing 05.
The Raiders maintained the second quarter lead 15-11 when Hoying scored a second time on the exact same up and under move. Fooled twice. Shame on Anna. The highest scoring sixth man in the league, Hoying finished the night with a team high 16 points. He averages 13.1 points per game.
The Rockets knotted the score for only the second time 15-15 on a strong finish by Wes Hunsucker. The 6′ 2″ senior finished the game with eight points and six rebounds.
Charles Williams made 1-of-2 foul shots and the Rockets led for the first time, 16-15 with 2:06 left until half. The lead lasted about 15 seconds before big man Nathan Wilson scored on a jump-hook from 10 feet.
Then, with time running out, Billing faked an 18-footer and drove to the hole for the basket and the lead 20-19. Billing finished the half with nine points, but his best was yet to come.
“We were still in it the first half despite all the turnovers,” Russia coach Paul Bremigan said. “I thought our half court defense was ok and Toller played solid defense against Billing.”
The defensive juices were flowing the third quarter as both teams turned the ball over six times and shot poorly from the field. Anna was 4-of-13 and Russia was 4-of-11 from the floor.
After Russia regained the lead 23-22 on a Hoying steal and lay up, Billing roared back with two straight driving buckets to retake the lead 26-23.
Despite the cold shooting by both teams, Billing paced the Rockets with seven quarter points for a precarious 33-29 third period lead.
Coach Meyer said, “It was a war. But we didn’t get rattled like we did in our close losses to New Bremen and Fort Loramie. I think we learned from those games.”
After a scooping lay up by Hoying (imagine that) to slice the lead 35-31, Anna, assembled a poised 21-13 run to sieze control and preserve the victory.
Billing closed out the final quarter with 13 points, including 7-of-8 from the charity stripe. Anna’s biggest margin was 43-32 after a Billing steal and the lay up with 3:26 left.
Coach Bremigan was disappointed in his team’s performance, “We missed too many inside baskets and our foul shooting was bad. Compound that with 25 turnovers, it’s hard to come back. We just haven’t seen that kind of full court pressure this season.”
On a more positive note, Bremigan added,”We can bounce back. The league season is a marathon. We need to stay focused and improve on our mistakes.”
Levi Francis scored 12 points and hauled down six boards for the Raiders, who were 9-of-18 from the free throw line.
Conversely, Anna drained 20-of-23 foul shots for a sizzling 87 percent.
Coach Meyer concluded, “Our full court man press the second half was good. In fact, we didn’t let them get comfortable for 32 minutes.”
In other SCL action, Fort Loramie nipped Houston 49-44. And so, it looks to be a three horse race to the finish between Loramie (5-0), Anna (5-1), and Russia (3-1), with Jackson Center lurking (3-3).
| 
