Titans translating toughness into victories on the court

Kyle Sokeland
Evansville

FORT BRANCH, Ind. – There seems to be something different about the Gibson Southern basketball team.

Wes Obermeier

It isn’t the personnel. The Titans returned nearly everybody of consequence from last year’s Pocket Athletic Conference-winning team that tallied 15 victories.

The answer probably lies in the unquantifiable. What your grandfather would call “grittiness” or the “will to win.” Gibson Southern is just playing tougher, both mentally and physically, this season.

So far, that has translated to victories. After squashing North Posey 46-38 Tuesday in the opener of the Toyota Classic, the Titans are now 4-1 and will host Mount Carmel on Friday night in their second game of the tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

“We are getting to where they are thriving wanting to shut down the other team’s best,” said Gibson Southern coach Kyle Runyan. “They can see that we could be pretty good. We have a lot of experience back and a lot of guys that can score in different ways. The mindset now is defense.”

The difference can be seen in the numbers, particularly on the defensive end. Through five games, Gibson Southern is only allowing 48.6 points per game, with three of those opponents scoring under 45. Last season, that number was 58.

That change on defense was seen in full force against North Posey. The Vikings’ talented backcourt was smothered by the Titans’ guards and forced to earn any points that came their way.

More: North Posey came in with several viable scoring options

Alec Martin and Andrew Smith were extremely effective for the Titans. North Posey sophomore Josiah Ricketts needed a late flurry of threes to reach 19 points, while senior sharpshooter Jacob Sanford was held to five points.

“We are way tougher,” said Martin. “Having seven seniors on the team helps us so much. That leadership pushes us through.”

In seasons past, that probably doesn’t happen with this group. But now, the Titans have completely bought in. No more "I" or "me" with the group.

Alec Martin

“I’ve been guilty of it in years past,” said Wes Obermeier. “But this year, every guy on this roster has been all in. It is awesome to see it translate out on the court.”

That’s not to say that Gibson Southern can’t put the ball in the hoop, too. Obermeier, a 6-foot-6 forward, is averaging just over 20 points per night and a double-double machine, while fellow Martin (13 points Tuesday) and Nic Maurer (10) give the Titans a solid backcourt.

The game against the Vikings wasn’t their best on that end. They fully admitted it afterwards. But when the shots aren’t falling, the Titans now know they can still win.

“I don’t think last year or years before we would have won that game,” said Runyan. “We are still pretty young in the season, but I like how we are playing defensively.”

More:Obermeier has signed to play football at Ball State

It is much too early to tell what ceiling could be for Gibson Southern. The PAC is loaded this year with the likes of Heritage Hills, Forest Park and North Posey all fielding strong squads.

Meanwhile, the Class 3A Sectional 32 field is no picnic with Bosse holding court as the favorite and Memorial a worthy contender. For the Titans, it is one step at a time.

“Wins are wins,” said Obermeier. “It is just mental game with confidence right now. Every performance like (North Posey), we will take it and move on to the next week.”