Lightning Strike Late in 64-61 loss at Eastview

by Pat Rupp

Eastview lived up to its team name Tuesday night in a come-from-behind 64-61 South Suburban Conference win over Farmington at Eastview.

The Lightning trailed much of the night but outscored its guests 21-8 over the final 10 minutes to earn is first conference win of the season.

“The turnovers were again critical for us,” Tiger coach Taren Johnson said. “To Eastview's credit they made some good defensive plays and took a few charges but we had too many unforced turnovers to win in the South Suburban Conference.”

Farmington started slowly before a 12-0 run midway through the opening half allowed the Tigers to turn a five-point deficit into a 29-22 lead. Kole Hinrichsen (5 points) and Caden Freetly (4) sparked the comeback.

“We weren't getting back on defense to start the game,” Johnson said. “I called a timeout and addressed the issue and we started getting stops.”

Farmington led 37-31 at intermission and upped the margin to 10 points at 53-43 with 10 minutes to play before things started to go south.

The Farmington turnover count started to mount and at the other end of the floor, Eastview began to find its range from behind the three-point arc.

Three straight three’s pulled the Lightning to within one before Adam Weed pushed the lead back to four at 56-52 with a trey at the 7:30 mark.

Two more three’s by Eastview gave it the lead. Freetly drained a three to give Farmington its last lead a 61-60 with two minutes to play but that would be the final Tiger point of the night.

Eastview scored on its next possession and then hit two free throws with 16 seconds to play to make it a three-point game. Sam Wilson’s long three-pointer as the clock wound down bounced off the back iron.

“They executed down the stretch better than us and that was the difference,” Johnson said “We played a lot of good basketball but the turnovers and Eastview out-hustling us in certain stretches did us in.”

The final stat sheet showed a mix of positives and concerns. On the bright side the Tigers shot well enough (49%) and owned the glass with a final 38-21 margin. Farmington also won the battle in the paint by a 32-18 count.

On the flipside, however, they turned the ball over 19 times, leading to 14 Lightning points. They also allowed the winners to can a dozen three-point shots while finishing with just five of their own.

Individually, Wilson and Hinrichsen each scored in double figures with 14 and 11 points respectively. Freetly and Brock Mogensen each added nine and Miles Mendes chipped in with seven.

Freetly yanked down a team-high 13 rebounds to go along with 9 points. Jameson Shrum finished with four points, five rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals.

“Caden played very well,” Johnson said. “He was really active and Kole played a strong all-around game.”

Farmington (4-4) returns to South Suburban play next Tuesday when it takes on Eagan (3-6) at Tiger Gym.