Purdum's big night lifts Bearcats over Panthers

• Paint Valley picked up its first SVC win of the year Saturday behind Drake Purdum's 18 points.
• The Bearcats beat SE at home by a 52-46 final as Andrew Brauner added 10 points & 12 rebounds.

BAINBRIDGE - For Drake Purdum on Saturday night, it seemed as if the rim was the ocean and he held a beach ball.

The Paint Valley senior guard simply couldn't miss in a 52-46 win over Southeastern in Scioto Valley Conference play at Paint Valley High School. Every time the Panthers edged a little closer, No. 00 provided a much-needed answer for the Bearcats.

"I sat Drake out the last two games because he had a bad week of practice," Paint Valley coach Dave Shoemaker said. "It's a sign of character for him to come out the way he did. He could've sat there and moped, being a senior and not playing. But instead, he played the way he did. We definitely have to have that secondary guy who can score. I was tickled to death with (Purdum) tonight. He earned this."

With 6-foot-11 junior Dylan Swingle on the bench in foul trouble for the entire second quarter, Southeastern continued to inch closer, erasing an early deficit. But even with their commander in chief unable to participate, PV's troops held down the fort.

"We hung right in there," Shoemaker said. "I was prepared to put (Swingle) back in if (Southeastern) started to build a lead. But Dylan Hannah and Layne Chrisman went in there and did a great job. They didn't turn the ball over and they took care of the ball. I was really proud of them, too."

Swingle got the Bearcats (2-3, 1-1 SVC) on the board first with a jumper at the 7:19 mark in the first quarter. Bryce Newland later hit a trey to give PV a 7-0 lead before Andrew Brauner followed suit, making it 10-1.

With Swingle on the bench, SE (1-3, 1-1 SVC) went on an 8-0 run, one that was powered by Rex Hartman and Aaron Benson, cutting the lead to 10-9. Purdum then hit his first 3-point field goal of the night with 50.5 left, extending the lead to 13-9 — a count that stood into the beginning of the second.

Hartman and Benson paired up yet again to tie the ballgame 13-13 at the 6:18 mark. It was then Cody Welch's turn to contribute, as he capped a second 8-0 run with a lay-in, giving the Panthers a 17-13 edge.

After PV's Caden Grubb scored with 2:13 left and the Bearcats trailing 23-18, Newland got a putback to go as the buzzer sounded, cutting the Panthers' lead to 23-20 at the break.

Swingle returned in the third, but it was Purdum and Cruz McFadden who found their strokes. The two hit back-to-back deep balls, putting PV back on top at 26-23 with 7:19 left. That lead would swell to 35-23, ending a 15-0 run, as Swingle, Purdum and Brauner all found the bottom of the net.

Heading into the fourth, the Bearcats nursed a 40-32 lead; one that was cut to six at 49-43 with less than three minutes remaining. It was at that point that Swingle grabbed an offensive rebound before finding Purdum open in the corner, and he provided the final dagger with his fourth triple of the contest.

"When we're inside out and we reverse the ball and make that extra pass, we're hard to defend," Shoemaker said. "I was happy because, last night, it was close to a two-point game and we came out and played terrible in the third quarter. So playing well at that time tonight was good to see."

Purdum finished with a game-high 18 points, while Brauner posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Swingle finished with nine points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four blocks. Grubb also chipped in, scoring seven points.

Benson led the Panthers with 14 points and seven rebounds, while both Rex Hartman and Lane Ruby scored seven points each. Ethan Smith finished with six points and seven rebounds, and Dawson Steele tallied six points and eight boards.

PV will get back on the court Friday evening at home against Unioto, while SE hosts Piketon the same night.

dwebb@chillicothegazette.com

Twitter: @dw1509

Stat book

Southeastern: 9-14-9-14 — 46

Paint Valley: 13-7-20-12 — 52

Southeastern: 19-66 FG, 4-14 FT, 4-21 3pt. (Steele, Hartman, Ruby, Benson 1), 36 rebounds (Steele 8), 14 turnovers, 13 Assists (Ruby 4). Scoring: Benson 6 1-6 14, Hartman 3 0-0 7, Ruby 3 0-0 7, Smith 2 2-4 6, Steele 2 1-2 6, Welch 2 0-0 4, Bodary 1 0-0 2.

Paint Valley: 20-50 FG, 4-10 FT, 8-21 3pt. (Purdum 4), 35 rebounds (Brauner 12), 21 turnovers, 6 Assists (Swingle 5). Scoring: Purdum 7 0-1 18, Brauner 4 0-0 10, Swingle 4 1-3 9, Grubb 2 3-4 7, Newland 2 0-1 5, McFadden 1 0-0 3.