Chaney escapes furious Niles

Mooney hung on for a Division II tournament upset and will play the Cowboys next.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BOARDMAN -- One-point games. Overtime. One-point decisions in overtime.
When the Chaney and Niles boys basketball teams get together, the results are nail-biters.
Friday was no different as Chaney hung on to win 62-61, but only after Niles' Tyler Spencer, in the final seven seconds, took an eight-footer, picked up the rebound and fired another shot that hit the rim but didn't fall.
The ball caromed to Tim Rupert, but time expired before anything else could happen officially.
In the other Division II tournament game at Boardman High, Cardinal Mooney ousted top-seeded Southeast, 69-56, to set up a rematch with Chaney in the district semifinals Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
The Pirates (19-2) didn't go down without a fight, rebounding from a 27-point fourth-quarter deficit with a furious rally that included seven 3-pointers that reduced the Cardinals' lead to 57-50 with 2:32 to play.
Mooney (9-13) preserved the win by scoring the next eight points, six by free throws.
Chaney 62, Niles 61: Niles coach Ron Price said Chaney's strength was the reason the Red Dragons opted to hold the ball for the final shot.
"He got a good look," Price said of Spencer's efforts. "It just didn't fall."
For most of the game, the second-seeded Cowboys (16-5) appeared to have things well in hand, thanks to the inside scoring strength of senior forward Brad Smith.
Ahead 25-24 in the second quarter, Chaney scored the next 13 points for a comfortable cushion.
But the Red Dragons (9-13) refused to quit, even though they were shorthanded because of senior Marquris Redd's ankle injury.
Their other senior, Sam Gatta, scored four third-quarter baskets as the Red Dragons trimmed the Chaney lead to 50-44.
Niles' hopes appeared to be crushed when Gatta took his fourth foul trying to stop Smith on a layup, then was called for a technical foul with 7:18 to play.
Minus the seniors, the young Dragons still hung tough.
"You lose your point guard like that and it can be a rallying point sometimes," Chaney coach Jim Stickel said. "They certainly did pick up the pace on the defensive end."
Smith said the Red Dragons taught them a lesson. "When you get a lead like that, you have to keep doing the things that put you in the lead. We got away from that."
In the final two minutes, sophomore Rupert and junior Jason Shelton connected for 3-pointers for a 62-61 score.
Thandi Smith turned the ball over to the Dragons with a minute to go. Niles ran off 50 seconds, then gave the ball to Spencer for the frantic finish.
"The young kids really battled to the end," Price said. "They hit some big shots, made some nice steals and had some big rebounds. To have a chance to win the game under these circumstances was great."
Brad Smith led the Cowboys with 28 points, while Thandi Smith scored 16.
David Soda and Gatta led Niles with 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Mooney 69, Southeast 56: The Cardinals jumped out to a 27-7 lead late in the second quarter as the Pirates missed 24 shots, including 10 3-point tries, in the first half.
Mooney was ahead 48-21 early in the fourth quarter when the Pirates came to life. Jimmy Seaman made four treys, Chris Pratt two and Aaron Pettigrew one as the Pirates outscored the Cardinals 35-24 in the final quarter.
"We're fortunate that in the first half, we played well defensively and they struggled," Mooney coach Nick Bellino said. "Our shot selection was pretty good.
"When they came on at the end, I expected nothing less. When they cut it to seven, they had come a long, long way."
Senior Matt Kubik led the Cardinals with 22 points. Teammates Joe Zidian scored 14, Curtis Ingram 13 and Nate Wilder 12.
Seaman and Pratt led the Pirates with 21 and 14 points, respectively.