ANSONIA — The height advantage of the visiting Tri-County North Panthers proved decisive Friday night, as the taller Panthers defeated the Ansonia Tigers 52-41 in WOAC varsity boys basketball action on Ansonia’s Senior Night.
“The boys came out and executed and did what we told them,” said veteran Tri-County North coach Garrett Woodyard. “They performed great tonight.”
That execution was paired with a noticeable size disparity. Tri-County North’s starting lineup measured 5-foot-10, 5-10, 6-3, 6-4, and 6-6, while Ansonia’s tallest starter stood 6-1 — an advantage that showed throughout the contest.
Tri-County North senior Koby Reynolds, a 6-3 forward, opened the scoring with the first of his four 3-pointers at the 7:43 mark of the first quarter. Ansonia sophomore Karson Weiss answered with a triple to tie the score at 3-3, and back-to-back baskets from Ben Barnt and Jacob Schitmeyer pushed the Tigers ahead 7-3 midway through the period.
The Panthers responded with free throws from Corbin and an old-fashioned three-point play from Reynolds and Clint Flory to regain the lead. Reynolds poured in 10 first-quarter points, including two treys, to give Tri-County North an 18-12 advantage after one.
“Their size altered our shots tonight,” said Ansonia coach Josh Moore. “We couldn’t buy a bucket all night long. Still have to keep shooting, drive, kick, and do what the game allows you to — we just couldn’t buy a bucket.”
Both teams battled evenly in the second quarter, playing to a 12-12 stalemate. Weiss led Ansonia with six points in the frame, knocking down his second and third 3-pointers of the night, but Tri-County North still carried a 30-24 lead into halftime.
The Panthers created separation in the third, outscoring Ansonia 11-4 behind nine more Reynolds points, including his fourth triple, to extend the margin to 41-28 entering the final quarter.
Ansonia showed fight down the stretch, winning the fourth period 13-11. Schitmeyer scored seven points in the quarter, going 5-for-6 from the free-throw line, while freshman Sam Evers added his second 3-pointer. Reynolds countered with six late points to secure the 11-point conference victory.
“We had some foul trouble, but we had some guys step up and play some big minutes,” Moore said. “Sam, our freshman, has been coming on here late, so it’s exciting to look at the future and where we are going. Good to see guys step up in the time of need.”
Senior Night festivities included recognition of Ansonia’s lone senior, No. 22 Ben Barnt.
“Ben has great character,” Moore said. “He’s going to be very successful as he goes on. He’s a good leader, works hard for us, and I’m thankful he’s been a part of us his senior year. He keeps grinding, he’s coachable, and he does what you ask. I see good things coming for him.”
Tri-County North seniors Cameron Rike, Clint Barns, Bennett Woodyard, and Koby Reynolds were also honored.
“They played well,” Woodyard said. “I’ll be missing them next year. It’s a special group for me — a group I started coaching when I first started. Super proud of how they’ve grown. It was a struggle at the beginning of the year, and they’re finally coming into tune toward the end of the year.”
Reynolds led all scorers with a game-high 30 points.
“Sometimes it’s your night, sometimes it’s not,” Woodyard added. “Tonight it was Koby Reynolds’ night. He came out and played his tail off. He played great for us.”
BOX SCORE:
TRI-COUNTY NORTH 52, ANSONIA 41
TRI-COUNTY NORTH – K. Reynolds 30, C. Flory 9, B. Knife 4, P. Fannin 3, C. Barns 3, G. Woodworth 2, C. Rike 1 – TOTALS 14 9-14 5 52
ANSONIA – G. Coppess 10, K. Weiss 9, J. Schmitmeyer 9, S. Evers 8, R. Sanders 3, B. Barnt 2 – TOTALS 10 6-13 5 41
3-POINTERS
Tri-County North 5 (K. Reynolds 4, P. Fannin 1)
Ansonia 5 (C. Weiss 3, S. Evers 2)
SCORE by QUARTERS
18-12-11-11 52 Tri-County North
12-12-04-13 41 Ansonia
