Cagers Cruise Past Steel Academy

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The roads were wet with a constant rain and the fog made the dark ride to Akron tough to navigate, but inside of the gym at Steel Academy, the Cagers were anything but dreary as they pounced on the Saints for a 55-10 victory. It was their fourth win in a row running their record to 7-1 on the season.

Out of the gate the Cagers were not to waste the trek to the Rubber City. Mark Gal got the ball moving as he would score 6 quick points in the quarter on driving layups and couple from the charity stripe. Ruben Belodedici would cash in on a bucket and a free throw attempt, and Eli Stanley would cash in from downtown. Defensively, the Cagers would play tough man-to-man and limit Steel Academy to zero points in the quarter. According to Coach Hamsher, this is exactly the start the Cagers needed now that the second half of the season is underway. “Traditionally Cager teams have fared very well in the second half of the season, and we needed to get things moving in that direction. Tonight, we were able to take those steps moving forward.” After one frame it was 11-0 in favor of the Cagers. 

Just about everyone got involved in the second period as the Cager offense seemed to get better each trip down the floor. Newly acquired point guard, Anthony Sines would make his presence known as he hustled all over the floor and was menace to the Saints guards. “Anthony stepped right in and was a difference maker right away at both ends. His basketball IQ and his ability to handle and distribute the ball will be an asset down the stretch,” said Hamsher. Probably the marquee play of the half was a Taj Gibson beautifully placed back door to Sines for a layup. Stanley would stay hot scoring 6 more points including another patterned three pointer that Cager fans have been accustomed to seeing. Thanks to a last second 35-foot shot by Sines that went in to end the half, the Cagers held a 35-6 advantage.

With the game in hand, the Cagers used each possession of the second half as a chance to work on execution and team chemistry. Senior Jay Hanzie had a nice quarter firing in 9 points including a three pointer. Sines would nail a three pointer. Later on in the half, Sines would drive baseline and find a wide open Preston Demiter in the right corner who would then hit nothing but net. That’s the type of play Hamsher would like to see become more consistent. “Not only is execution a goal that we have, but so is team chemistry and having fun, and all three things were in full display tonight. It was nice to see execution, smiles, and high fives.” For the game, Hanzie and Stanley tied for the team lead in points with 11. Sines and Gal had 8 each. Belodedici had 7 and Demiter and Gibson rounded out the scoring column with 5 each. The next few weeks will test the Cagers as their schedule gets a little tougher.