Boys basketball: Sizzling start sends Southview past EC
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LORAIN — Fifteen-point runs at any time in a game usually spell disaster.
Fifteen straight by Southview to open Tuesday’s game added up to a fourth straight loss for Elyria Catholic. The Saints (2-1) came out on fire in scrambling to a 15-0 start and a 27-7 first-quarter lead in defeating the Panthers 83-55 in non-conference play.
The Saints were 11-of-15 from the field, including 4-of-5 from on 3-pointers, to settle the verdict early.
“Knock on wood,” Southview coach Andy Bastock said. “This team’s been coming out on fire — every game so far. (EC) started out in that zone and tried to sit in there, but what was it, four to five threes later was the end of that zone.”
And of the Panthers’ game plan.
“I thought, let’s zone up on them,” EC coach Al Januzzi said. “I didn’t think we’d get beat on the perimeter. I thought we could at least defend the three and get a hand in the face. Man, they just came out and before you know it, you blink and you’ve dug yourself a hole.”
Not exactly the best thing for Elyria Catholic to overcome.
“Especially that team,” Januzzi said of the Saints. “Andy’s got a nice team. They shoot the ball well. They get up and down the floor. They have a lot of threats out there.”
For sure. Southview placed five players in double-digits led by sophomore A.J. Craighead’s 22 off the bench. It was Craighead who speared the defensive effort that caused 10 Panther turnovers in the first quarter when the Saints built their lead.
Craighead finished the 15-0 run with a 3-pointer and a steal and layup. He personally outscored EC 11-7 in the quarter.
“That’s my role,” Craighead said. “That’s what (coach) told me from the beginning. As a freshman, they told me that would be my role. I’ve taken advantage of it. I give my team a spark. Starting is not a big factor for me.”
Charles Fletcher added 17 points, Angel Gomez 14 and Michael Davila and Jeremiah Frymier 11 apiece with Frymier add 10 rebounds.
“I’m very pleased,” Bastock said. “These kids work together. They get along. It’s a very tight-knit group. They play very well together. They share the ball and find the open man. Every kid on this team’s main objective is to win the basketball game.”
Gomez is the only Southview player who saw much playing time on last year’s senior-dominated team, but that lack of experience wasn’t a problem Tuesday. The Saints shot 53 percent from the floor, outrebounded the taller Panthers 32-21 and turned the ball over just nine times through three quarters.
To Elyria Catholic’s credit, it never gave in to what had to seem like an insurmountable deficit. The Panthers battled after that disastrous first quarter and had the lead down to 16 a number of times before Southview scored the game’s final 12 points.
Senior Sergio Montanez led the Panthers’ scoring with 21 points off the bench, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to close out the third quarter. Senior Andrew Kubuski and junior Conor Voreis each scored 12 points with Voreis getting eight in the third quarter. Spencer Roule, a 6-5 senior, added eight points and seven rebounds.
“Our kids battled,” Januzzi said. “After the start, we played them even to the middle of the fourth. We were down 16 and I kept looking at them and thought, ‘Hey, a couple possessions and we could have it down to a 10-point ballgame,’ but (Southview) hit a lot of big shots.”
Southview 83, Panthers 55
ELYRIA CATHOLIC (55): Joe Januzzi 0-2-2, Andrew Kubuski 3-4-12, Nick Ksenich 0-0-0, Conor Voreis 6-0-12, Spencer Roule 3-2-8, Adam Kirsch 0-0-0, Sergio Montanez 9-2-21, Kyle Robinson 0-0-0, Joe Dempsey 0-0-0. Totals 21-10-55.
SOUTHVIEW (83): Charles Fletcher 7-0-17, Michael Davila 4-2-11, Jeremiah Frymier 4-3-11, Brandon Davis 3-0-6, Angel Gomez 4-2-14, A.J. Craighead 7-6-22, Jonathan Wilson 0-2-2, Eric Gomez 0-0-0, Donald Arnold 0-0-0, Mike Jiminez 0-0-0. Totals 29-15-83.
Elyria Catholic 7 21 15 12 — 55
Southview 27 19 14 23 — 83
Three-point goals: Elyria Catholic 3-13 (Kubuski 2, Montanez), Southview 10-20 (A. Gomez 4, Fletcher 3, Craighead 2, Davila). Field Goals: Elyria Catholic 21-47 (45 percent), Southview 29-55 (53 percent). Free Throws: Elyria Catholic 10-13 (77 percent), Southview 15-19 (79 percent). Rebounds: Elyria Catholic 21 (Roule 7), Southview 32 (Frymier 10). Turnovers: Elyria Catholic 22, Southview 15. Fouls: Elyria Catholic 14, Southview 12. Fouled Out: None.
JV: Southview, 51-49
Contact Tim Gebhardt at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.
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