After Bishop Grimes topped East Syracuse-Minoa in the Nov. 29 season opener for both sides, the two sides went in separate directions, but both would find success.
The Cobras, tagged as the favorite in the OHSL Liberty National division, displayed the reasons for that optimism in a pair of league victories within a 48-hour span.
Grimes hosted Solvay last Tuesday night, and after a fast start, it let the Bearcats hang around for a while before pulling away late and winning a 63-45 decision.
It didn’t take long for the Cobras to roar to a 17-6 lead, but Solvay utilized its depth (nine different players scored at least one field goal) to chip away at the margin over the next two periods, only trailing 43-35 going to the fourth quarter.
Ultimately, Grimes pair of stars allowed for a late getaway. Casey Evans piled up 23 points, including four 3-pointers, and recorded seven steals, while Jon Carnegie worked inside for 16 points and eight rebounds. Tom Steinberg and Joe Arrigo each finished with eight points.
Two nights later, the Cobras visited Hannibal, where one huge outburst in the second quarter decided matters in a 72-55 victory over the Warriors.
Hannibal had no intention of retreating in the early stages, trading baskets with Grimes and only trailing 14-12 through one period. And in the second half, the Warriors played quite well, outscoring the Cobras 31-23 as Jacob Schenko, with 20 points, led the way.
However, it was that second period that ruined Hannibal’s upset dreams. For eight feverish minutes, Grimes scored at will, averaging better than two baskets per minute in a frantic dash where everything seemed to go in.
All told, the Cobras put up 35 points in that period, turning a tight contest into a 49-24 halftime edge. Though that torrid pace could not be sustained, Casey Evans still finished with 23 points, hitting five 3-pointers, while Connor Evans chimed in with 14 points. Carnegie and Steinberg both had 13 points.
In between these games, East Syracuse-Minoa broke into the win column for the first time under new head coach Jim Kilpatrick on Wednesday night, defeating Homer 52-42.
A 14-6 burst through the first quarter put the Spartans in control. Though the Trojans closed the gap to 22-17 by halftime, ESM maintained its poise and, as the pace picked up in the late going, made all the key free throws to hang on.
Sean Richardson led the way, pouring in 21 points, six of them at the foul line. Seven of DeShaun Gorman’s nine points came from free throws, while Jah-meer McDuffie earned 11 points and Jeff McDuffie matched Gorman’s total of nine points.
Still at home Friday night to face Central Square, the Spartans used a big third-quarter spurt to take control and ultimately earn a 62-53 victory over the Red Hawks.
Neither side could put together a sustained spurt in the first half. But ESM, up 24-23 at the break, changed that by outscoring Central Square 20-13 in the third period, and answering every time the Red Hawks tried to get close in the late going.
Jeff McDuffie continued to heat up, leading ESM with 20 points, just ahead of Richardson, whose 19 points included six successful free throws. Eyan Underwood contributed 11 points, with Jah-meer McDuffie earning six points. Joe Piazza (21 points) and Malcolm Anderson (18 points) accounted for most of Central Square’s offense.
ESM put its two-game win streak on the line Tuesday against CBA, its only action of the week since a scheduled Thursday game with Bishop Ludden was moved to Jan. 14. Grimes went for four in a row Monday against Institute of Technology Central before a Thursday game at Phoenix.
