TIPTON - In the first half of Russellville's game against Smithton on Tuesday, it did not look like a typical No. 7 versus No. 2 matchup.
The lower-seeded Indians battled the Tigers step-for-step early on and only trailed by three at the break. Smithton, however, pulled away in the second half via Drew Apsher. The senior totaled 32 points on the night to lead the Tigers to an eventual 71-61 win.
In the first half, Russellville ran its offense mainly through the senior duo of Dylan Henderson and Tyler Voss. The two accounted for all but five of the Indians' first half points. Henderson had a team-high 26 points while Voss tallied 18.
Early on, the Indians not only forced the Tigers to play up-tempo, they were also able to force Smithton to rely on other contributors outside of Apsher.
Although Russellville never got the third scorer it needed to seriously keep up with Smithton offensively down the stretch, the Indians did receiver strong all-around efforts from guards, Brady Blanton, Beau Bryant and Trenton Thompson.