Salem runs by Eagles, 71-60

Right now, it's a mere numbers game for the Eldorado High School boys basketball team, and it's just not enough.

With just three players scoring - and the standout tandem of Isaiah Cunningham and Cody Lane combining for 52 points - Greg Goodley's Eagles fell 71-60 to Salem in Saturday's Pyramid Plus Tournament in Marion.

EHS finished the season-opening tournament with a mark of 2-3, already matching its entire loss count of last year.

Eldorado held a few leads early, but when the Wildcats' Bryce Harris beat the first-quarter buzzer, Salem grabbed a 16-14 lead it would not relinquish.

The Wildcats (3-2) kept gradually pulling away, then blew the doors open in the final three minutes of the first half, going on a 14-3 run to seize a 39-23 halftime command.

"We didn't play good defense in the first half," Goodley said. "We also couldn't get everyone involved offensively."

Eldorado struggled to find balance when it had the basketball: Cunningham, Lane and Barry Parks provided all the scoring.

Salem, which shot 60 percent in the first half, kept building its lead, and found itself ahead 49-27 in the third period when Zeke Light scored on a runout.

EHS trailed 52-35 at the end of the third period, before putting up a fight down the stretch.

Parks hit a 3-pointer to open the final quarter, and Cunningham (31 points) and Lane (21 points) took over and helped trim the deficit to single digits.

A pair of Lane free throws made it 54-46 with 5:15 remaining, but EHS could never get closer than eight points.

"We didn't play until we got down 20," Goodley said. "Then we started scoring, rebounding and playing defense. We didn't quit, and that's what we like to see."

Light scored 30 points, Dan Conklin 14 and Harris 10 for Salem, a school nearly three times the enrollment of Eldorado.

"When you play teams with that many students, you expect their teams to be athletic," Goodley said. "That's the difference with us now. Last year, we had those rounded athletes, but we have guys in a gray area now and we have matchup problems we need to work on."

Parks added eight points to Cunningham and Lane's count, and that was it for Eldorado's Saturday night scoring.

"We had some other guys who had good looks inside," Goodley said. "They dropped Friday night, but not today."

Lane and Cunningham - who scored Eldorado's last 16 points Saturday - were both named to the All-Tournament team, and Cunningham was the tournament's top scorer with 151 points, or 30.2 points per game.

"Those guys took over, but they also gave up the ball for other guys to get chances," Goodley said. "When you add a bunch of new guys, it takes a few games for kids to feel each other out. But the other kids will have to get into the act, and we hope it's a matter of time."

Eldorado hosts Gallatin County Friday night.

Salem 71, Eldorado 60
Salem        16    23    13    19-71
Eldorado    14      9    12    25-60
SALEM (3-2)
Robb 3 0-0 8, Brendel 1 0-3 2, Light 10 7-8 30, Harris 3 4-6 10, Conklin 6 2-3 14, Petrea 1 1-2 3, Tolliver 2 0-0 4. Totals 26 14-22 71
ELDORADO (2-3)
Street 0 0-0 0, Parks 3 0-0 8, Cunningham 12 4-5 31, Lane 7 4-5 21, Johnston 0 0-0 0, Weir 0 0-0 0, Langley 0 0-0 0, Monroe 0 0-0 0, Griffin 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 8-10 60
3-point goals - Salem 5 (Light 3, Robb 2), Eldorado 8 (Lane 3, Cunningham 3, Parks 2). Team fouls - Salem 17, Eldorado 13. Fouled out - None