Facing Hawken Jan. 4, the Wolverines had lost three straight, while the Hawks had a 4-2 record.
Game photos click here.
Facing Hawken Jan. 4, the Wolverines had lost three straight, while the Hawks had a 4-2 record.
It was a game with big implications for the Chagrin Valley Conference (Chagrin) division.
The back-and-forth first quarter would be handled by the Wolverines and Head Coach Micah Young’s crew.
“We had lost our identity as a basketball team the last three games,” Young said. “We talk about how everything always starts on the defensive end; those three games, we did not take care of business on the defensive end.”
But this night, as Young explained, “we were able to get back to our defensive principles and get the win due to good defense.”
Behind this stingy defense and an off shooting night for the Hawks, the Wolverines picked up the key win, 43-29.
West G’s defensive game plan allowed just two points in the second quarter, when they outscored their opponent, 13-2.
The Wolverines led at the half, 22-8.
Leading the way offensively for the Wolverines was junior Landon Lear, with 14 points at the half. Sophomore Ryan Mobley, who holds the paint down for the Wolverines, also added four points to his stat line.
“In the second quarter, we just did not let them score,” said Lear, on what he liked from his team’s defense. “It was a confidence booster for us to hold Hawken to two points, because we know they like to score a lot of points. They’re a tough team.”
The Hawks came into the contest averaging 50.6 points per game, atop the Chagrin division. But the stifling defense that the Wolverines applied held the team to just 21 points in three quarters.
“We had planned on slowing the game down to a pace where we could control the game and play our style of basketball,” Young said. “Complete credit goes to our players for executing that game plan.”
Lear led the way with 18 points, while Mobley and Colin Whiting each finished with seven. Carson Weisman also added six.
“We had a complete team effort,” Young said. “Landon Lear is always our go-to guy offensively. He did a good job of facilitating and setting up other guys. Colin Whiting did not shoot the ball well, but he is the heart and soul of our team defensively. Efforts from sophomore Ryan Mobley and seniors Carson Weisman and Andrew Marino set us up for the win.
“I was very impressed with our team’s rebounding. We are not as big or athletic as Hawken, but we beat them on the glass due to anticipation and being physical down low.”
As defensive specialist and floor facilitator, Marino said he was proud of his teammates’ effort and the focus that they showed to start the new year.
“We kept to our principles really well,” Marino said. “Communication was a lot better that night. I think it was a huge step up, and it seemed like our chemistry was up there, too. Everyone wanted to be here, and that showed.”
Hawken’s Taj Caver led his team with 14 points. Sophomore guard Greg Price finished with six, while David Dettelbach finished with five.
The Wolverines square off against Chagrin Falls Jan. 12, while the Hawks improved their record to 6-3 on Jan. 6 with a win over University, 68-66. They would face off against Orange Jan. 9, then travel to Beachwood Jan. 12.
