Exeter-Milligan-Friend found itself in a battle Jan. 3 when it hosted Lourdes Central Catholic. EMF used a 23-7 second quarter to take a 38-26 lead and held off the Knights 62-55.
“This was one of the best team wins we’ve had,” EMF Coach Brian Arp said. “We took their absolute best shot. It was good to be in that situation. We need to be in close games where free throws matter.”
The Bobcats were 8-20 at the line, a stat Arp would like to see improved.
Lourdes was as hot from three-point range as the weather was cold. The Knights connected on 10 of 16 attempts from beyond the arc and two of those were last-second hail Marys.
“For the most part, I was OK with giving those up,” Arp said.
The Bobcats dominated inside, outscoring Lourdes 48-14 in the paint. Grady Bresson and Zach Vossler scored 17 and 14, respectively, and both had nine rebounds.
Mikey Bartu added 10 points and six steals for EMF. Arp said the senior embodies what he wants the team to be – gritty, tough and willing to do the dirty work.
Mason Vossler had five steals and three assists to go with his nine points. Carter Milton came off the bench and played well, showing the Bobcats’ depth and experience.
“There’s still work to do. We need to adjust faster,” Arp said.
The Bobcats (10-0) were at Tri County (3-7) Jan. 7 and defeated the Trojans 58-47 behind 17 points by Zach Vossler. EMF will host Southern (4-4) Thursday, Jan. 9, at 7:30 p.m.
“Southern is better than last year,” Arp said. “It will be a good week of competition. We’ll see different things.”
