The Greene County Rams boys basketball game Tuesday in Nevada was the sort of game that keeps fans coming back for more. After trailing 20-11 after one quarter and 33-27 at halftime, the Rams’ perseverance garnered a 60-55 victory. The win puts them at 5-1 in the Heart of Iowa Activities Conference and 6-1 overall.
The Rams scored first after just seven seconds of play. They didn’t score again until Trey Hinote made the second of two free throws four minutes into the quarter. By then, Nevada’s Trent Stahl had put up eight points. Points remained hard to come by for the Rams and the Cubs were on pace to exceed their 54 points per game average.
The Rams were down by 11 points, 22-11, early in the second quarter, but pulled to within three points, 23-20, midway through the quarter. The Cubs’ shooting was strong and the Rams were able to trim the deficit only slightly in the second quarter.
The Cubs scored first in the third quarter, but the Rams then scored nine unanswered points to finally take the lead with a Wade Adcock basket with about six minutes to play. Adcock put up another basket and Hinote sank a pair of free throws to hold a 40-35 lead before Nevada scored again. The third quarter ended with the Rams ahead 44-42.
The Rams fell behind again, 47-46, with 6:20 left in the game. The Rams were down 50-46 when Joe Towers made a 3-point shot, his first points of the game, to keep his team in the game. Nevada scored four more points before Towers made a 2-pointer and Hinote added to more 2-point baskets to take a 55-54 lead with 3:28 to play in the game.
The remaining points in the game all came from the free throw line. The Cubs tied the score at 55, but Jordan Patterson made two free throws with 1:40 to play. The score was still 57-55 in favor of the Rams with 32 seconds to play. The final three points of the game were Hinote free throws.
Hinote scored 28 points, a career high. That included only two of the 3-point shots he often excites fans with. Adcock scored 15 points before fouling out with 2:40 left in the game. Patterson scored xix points, Towers scored five, Lance Hughes scored four points and Ben Bravard scored two.
Nevada is now 3-3 in the HOIAC and 3-5 overall.
The Rams have a Wednesday off, but travel to Boone on Thursday and host Perry on Friday. The games against Boone and Perry are both non-conference games.
