By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – For Clear Creek Amana head coach Brandon Clubb Friday night’s matchup with Center Point-Urbana had to feel a little bit like a replay of a game he had already seen.  

Or a whole lot like plenty of games the first-year coach had watched over the past month.

For the sixth time in its last seven games Clear Creek Amana was within striking distance in the second half but couldn’t come out with a win, falling 68-57 to Center Point-Urbana in a WAMAC West Division contest in Tiffin.

Clear Creek Amana trailed by two at the half and was within six with seven minutes to play but would get no closer, dropping to 1-12 on the season with its 10th straight loss.

“We have lapses and it’s tough to put your finger on, one night it will be defense, one night it will be offense it’s never the same thing,” Clubb said. “We just have to play consistently for 32 minutes. We’ve gotten close a few times but we have our lapses.”

Center Point-Urbana (9-4) got 47 of its 68 points from juniors Dylan Harris and Grant Dirks to win its sixth straight game.

The duo had 31 of the Stormin Pointers’ 37 second-half points including 18 of 20 in the fourth quarter.

“The fourth quarter hurt us tonight but they hit tough shots,” Clubb said. “We lived and died by the zone tonight and I told our kids that’s not on you that’s on us as coaches for sticking with it we rolled the dice and they hit some tough shots down the stretch.”

Once again the Clippers did plenty of good things but came up short of a win.

Clear Creek Amana shot 49 percent from the floor and held a 32-23 rebounding edge but it wasn’t quite enough as the Clippers dropped to 0-9 in WAMAC West Division games.

“It feels like we’ve been having the same problems over and over,” Clear Creek Amana senior Tate Thomsen said. “We are still battling in every game and we are in it every time we just haven’t been able to get one.”

Clear Creek Amana was sharp early hitting 7-of-13 field goal attempts while taking a 15-11 lead after one quarter.

Senior Drake Mougin beat the first quarter horn with a 17-foot jumper as the Clippers ended the quarter on a 6-0 run.

“Offensively we did a better job than we have been doing,” Clubb said. “We had a lot more movement, which is what we’ve been trying to get these kids to do. Our offense was awesome tonight.”

CPU took a 29-25 lead late in the first half on a 3-point by Harris but the Clippers answered with four straight points, tying the game on a Tyler Schrepfer jumper with 46 seconds left before halftime.

Clear Creek Amana had a chance to go into the half with the lead by CPU senior JoJo Frost came up with a steal and layup that just beat the halftime horn to make it 31-29.

The Clippers would cut the lead to one point three times in the third quarter but could never pull even.

Clear Creek Amana trailed 44-43 after a Schrepfer 3-pointer with 1:53 left in the third but CPU ended the half with four straight points.

Harris hit two of his six 3-pointers in a 10-2 Stormin Pointer run to open the fourth quarter that put the game away.

“We are just trying to get up a hand up on him and if it goes in it goes in,” Thomsen said. “He hit some tough shots.”

Harris finished with 24 points while Dirks added 23 points and eight rebounds.

Only five Stormin Pointers scored as Frost added nine points and Jared Metzen and Mitchell McCauley each had six.

“They’ve got three good players and they showed up tonight,” Clubb said. “They were good.”

Cory Siders led Clear Creek Amana with 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Thomsen had 10 points and eight boards.

Schrepfer added 10 points for the Clippers.

“I’m glad our guys haven’t given up yet, 1-12 it’s tough, it’s not easy,” Thomsen said. “I still think everyone still has a great attitude and is wanting to get out there every game.”

Clear Creek Amana    15  14  14  14 – 57

Center Point-Urbana   11  20  17  20 – 68

Clear Creek Amana (57) – Tate Thomsen 4-11 2-2 10, Cory Siders 6-12 2-4 14, Drake Mougin 4-6 0-0 8, Tyler Hallett 4-7 1-1 9, Kobey Schlotman 0-1 0-0 0, Tyler Schrepfer 4-7 0-0 10, Camden Armstrong 2-5 1-2 6, Team 24-49 6-9 57.

Center Point-Urbana (68) – JoJo Frost 3-8 2-4 9, Alex Wade 0-1 0-0 0, Jared Metzen 2-3 0-0 6, Dylan Harris 6-14 6-8 24, Mitchell McCauley 3-8 0-0 6, Grant Dirks 8-12 7-9 23, Team 22-46 15-21 68.

3-point field goals – CCA 3-12 (Thomsen 0-2, Siders 0-1, Hallett 0-1, Schlotman 0-1, Schrepfer 2-5, Armstrong 1-2), CPU 9-23 (Frost 1-3, Wade 0-1, Metzen 2-3, Harris 6-12, McCauley 0-3, Dirks 0-1). Rebounds – CCA 32 (Thomsen, Siders 8), CPU 23 (Dirks 8). Turnovers – CCA 14, CPU 8. Total fouls – CCA 18, CPU 12. Fouled out – Mougin (CCA). Technical fouls – None.