The Logansport Iron Horses were just fine traveling 12 hours to Canada and knocking off a first-place team, but they’re still adjusting to their new environs at the Berry Bowl.
They were handed a 142-113 defeat by the Lebanon Leprechauns on Tuesday to drop to 0-2 at home.
It was a close contest most of the way, which included an entertaining back and forth third quarter. The Iron Horses were within 98-91 early in the fourth before the Leprechauns pulled away.
Logansport coach Wayne Casey said a difficult schedule has contributed to the struggles at home for the only expansion team in the Upper Midwest Division.
“We have a young team. We’ve got one player that came with me and after that they’re all rookies,” Casey said. “We’ve got 12 rookies. So this is supposed to happen. Until we get some players, until we get better, this is supposed to happen.”
It also didn’t help that former IU player Robert Phinisee was out with a groin injury.
“That’s gonna hurt us,” Casey said. “Rob is out indefinitely. He’s got a severe injury. Parrish is out till Monday. So I gotta go get people again.”
Bass Ollie led the Iron Horses with 19 points on 4 of 6 shooting from 3. Chris Littlejohn had 18 points and 15 rebounds. Joe Rush scored 17 points and dished out eight assists. Cortez Mosley scored 17 as well. James Moore had 13. Ernest Carter added nine and Cameron Estill and Markanthony Fidelis chipped in eight apiece.
Omega Harris had 32 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists to lead the Leprechauns. He was 6 of 11 from 3. Bryant Givens scored 27 on 5 of 11 from 3. Filip Serwatka had 22 points and eight boards and was 4 of 5 shooting from 3. Trevon Bentley scored 18 and Eron Harris had 14 on 4 of 8 shooting from long range.
Emotions and frustrations might have got the better of some of the players and coaches following the contest and some grievances were aired out. In the closing seconds Lebanon could have took the rest of the clock out but instead a player drove to the basket which was followed by a hard foul. That was followed with words exchanged by both teams.
“That was a little too much at the end,” Casey said. “I think after they were up 30, I don’t think they should have done that. It was a little too much.”
The Iron Horses had just defeated a first-place team in Canada.
“That was a nice win in Canada, but we’ve got to be able to put things back-to-back,” Casey said. “And that’s part of youth, young people. It’s hard to get them to do things consistent. A good team is consistent.”
The Iron Horses had defeated Lebanon 119-99 the second game of the season on March 3.
“We beat them by 20 but tonight we were without Rob, that makes a big difference,” Casey said.
Logansport (3-5) hosts the Kokomo Bobkats (5-0) at 7 p.m. Thursday before getting a rematch with Lebanon (3-4) at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Berry Bowl.
