Delton used a fast paced offense and a good shooting touch to defeat Martin Tuesday 71-52.
The visiting Clippers scored the first basket of the game, but fell behind early and never led again. Delton led 16-12 at the end of the first quarter and 38-24 at the half.
Martin actually tied the game at 16 early in the second quarter on back-to-back baskets by Garrett Dill, but the Panthers answered with a three-point basket by Cogan McCoy to give Delton an advantage it would never relinquish.
McCoy led all scorers in the contest with 23 points. Zack Cooper and Cole Leinaar both scored 15 and Noah Leinaar pitched with with 13.
Garrett Dill led Martin with 17 points and Tanner Curry added 14. But Curry’s streak of double-doubles was stopped as he pulled down only eight rebounds. He had seven straight games with double figures in points and rebounds.
“They are a good team,” said Panther Coach Paul Blacken, “And those two guys (Dill and Curry) are real good. We knew we had to play them tough and I think we did. Last year we beat them over Christmas vacation but those two had something like 49 of their team’s 55 points.”
“We were just flat tonight,” said Martin coach David Curry. “They ran the floor on us and we just couldn’t keep up the whole game. “But I told the kids after the game, we have to look at this as a learning experience and go from here. I think we will be OK.”
Delton used a debilitating man to man defense and never let Martin get into its rhythm,
“I’m soil of old school. I guess,” Blacken said, “I like to go man to man and I like to push the ball up the floor. We were able to do that tonight. I thought it took as a while to get going, but by the second quarter we started running the floor better and we worked hard on defense.
“McCoy ran the floor real well. I told him when he gets a rebound to just run with it. Otherwise we get the ball to Noah and he brings it up. Both players are very good ball handlers and like to run.”
Blacken also praised Cole Leinaar for his play.
“He has gotten an opportunity to play more because of an injury to Eddie Jones and Cole has taken advantage of it. He had some nice open shots tonight and he made the most of them.”
Delton saw its season record advance to 3-5, while Martin’s slipped to 5-3. Martin will travel to Galesburg Friday and return home against Lawton Tuesday.
