ELYRIA — If only they could have started the game in the second quarter.
That had to be what Elyria Catholic was thinking after Friday night’s 51-38 loss to state power Akron Hoban at in a North Coast League matchup at the Coliseum.
Unfortunately for the Panthers (4-14, 1-10), it’s a four-quarter game and they spotted Hoban (16-2, 11-0) a 16-3 lead in the opening quarter. That 13-point spread was the eventual margin for the whole game as the teams tied the following three quarters 35-35.
Hoban scored a basket just 10 seconds into the game and never trailed the rest of the way. With the Panthers hitting only 1 of 12 field-goal attempts in the first quarter, they quickly fell into a huge hole.
But then, just as it was looking like a romp, Elyria Catholic found its defense and also started scoring. It forged a 14-13 advantage in the second quarter and then edged the Knights 7-6 in a low-scoring third.
Hoban only got one field goal in the third period and went 11 straight possessions without a basket against EC’s zone defense. The Knights were 1-for-7 from the field in the third.
The Panthers weren’t scoring a lot, either, but managed to get enough points to stay relatively close. When Cody Schuster scored a basket and free throw with 7:15 left in the game, Elyria Catholic only trailed 35-27.
Hoban, however, recovered and soon regained the double-digit lead it kept to the end of the game.
The Knights, one of the top teams in northern Ohio, were held to just 14 field goals by Elyria Catholic’s zone and shot just 34 percent from the field. EC also had 14 field goals, but Hoban put the game away with a 20-7 advantage at the foul line.
Elyria Catholic, after that ugly 1-for-12 shooting display in the first quarter, was better, if not good, over the last three periods, going 13-of-33.
“I was very pleased with the way our kids played after falling behind early,” said Elyria Catholic coach Alan Januzzi. “After what they’ve gone through this season (Friday’s loss was their seventh straight), it shows tremendously about their character. They keep battling even when behind. I’m excited about the coming tournaments.”
EC moved up to Division II this season and will play at the Westlake sectional.
Hoban coach T.K. Griffith obviously was not happy with the way his talented team played Friday night.
“I think tonight was a mixture of complacency and a long season of very long road trips,“ he said. “Tonight we had an hour-and-a-half drive after six or seven similar long trips this season. I think we are mentally tired. Then when we got off to an early big lead we got very complacent. Getting only one field goal in the third quarter was by far our lowest total for any quarter this season. But you have to give credit to Elyria Catholic. They wanted to be here more than we did.”
Another factor in the win was Hoban’s 45-33 advantage in rebounds as a number of Knight field goals came on putbacks.
Contact Jerry Rombach at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

Hoban 51, Elyria Catholic 38

HOBAN (51): Brian Slack 4-8-16, Devaujhn Boddie 3-6-13, Mitch Dorfman 2-3-8, Kyle McMillen 2-1-6, Theo Barnes 2-1-5, Curtis May 1-0-2, Brendan Swain 0-1-1, Jack Bott 0-0-0, Will Fleming 0-0-0, Matt Green 0-0-0, Tyler Horton 0-0-0, Rob McCleneghan 0-0-0. Totals 14-20-51.
ELYRIA CATHOLIC (38): Joe Fitch 6-2-14, Kevin Fentner 2-1-6, Ryan Taylor 2-0-5, Paul Kubuski 1-1-4, Cody Schuster 1-2-4, Joe Januzzi 1-0-2, Josh Russ 1-0-2, Nick Ksenich 0-1-1, Adam Kirsch 0-0-0. Totals 14-7-38.
Hoban    16    13    6    16    —    51
EC    3    14    7    14    —    38
Three point goals: Hoban 3-11 (Boddie, Dorfman, McMillen), EC 3-10 (Taylor, Fentner, Kubuski). Field goals: Hoban
14-41 (34 percent), EC 14-45 (31 percent). Free throws: Hoban 20-32, EC 7-12. Rebounds: Hoban 45 (Barnes 9, Slack 8); EC 33 (Kubuski 7, Fitch 5). Turnovers: Hoban 11, EC 12. Fouls: Hoban 16, EC 21. Fouled out: Schuster. Junior varsity: Hoban 53, EC 39

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