BOYS BASKETBALL Ursuline tops Devils

Jerome Jones scored 22 points and pulled down 21 boards for Ursuline.
GIRARD -- Ursuline High played big on the boards and had an 8-0 points run at the end of the first half to defeat Campbell Memorial 65-53 in the first game of the Girard Holiday Tournament on Tuesday night.
Jerome Jones, a 6-foot-8 junior, was the game's top scorer with 22 points and the top rebounder with 21. For good measure, he blocked four shots. Jones led the Fighting Irish (5-1) to a 46-22 edge in rebounds.
Seven of Jones' baskets were conversions of his own offensive rebounds, which proved to be a back-breaker for the Red Devils.
"We came out and hustled and played hard and physical and that's what won for us," said Jones.
"This was my best overall game and a best thing about it is that I am playing well through adversity."
The adversity Jones referred to is that when he gets the ball, he usually draws a crowd.
The Red Devils took an early lead, but it was one of many as the two teams battled through four ties and 11 lead changes in a hard-fought first half.
Campbell Memorial led 28-27 with 1 minute, 41 seconds remaining in the first half, before the Irish went on their 8-0 run to take a 35-27 lead to the intermission.
Four players -- Jones, Edwin Smith, Terry Vidal and Andre Brown -- were the contributors to that run.
It was a lead Ursuline would never lose, but Campbell did make four consecutive free throws after Irish turnovers to cut the margin to three points, 35-32.
But Jones, with a putback, steered the Irish ship back on course.
The Red Devils continued to fight back, staying within five points at 41-36, but a basket by Jones helped the Irish to a 46-38 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Early in the final period, after the Irish took a 14-point lead, Campbell went on a 7-0 run, keyed by a pair of 3-pointers from Teyon Harris, to cut the Ursuline lead to 52-45.
Six-foot-3 sophomore Andre Brown, the son of former East High and YSU standout Aundra Brown, scored eight second half points -- he finished with 16 -- who came up big for the Irish when Campbell kept coming at them.
"I started bad, but with good defense and some rebounds my game picked up," said Brown.
Keith Gunther, Ursuline's second-year coach, added, "We overcame Campbell's good start as they had three guys hurting us early and that made the game a battle.
"We began to play better defense and that was huge for us tonight.
"If we can get away from turnovers and start making our free throws we can be a very good team," he added.
Ursuline had 21 turnovers to only 13 for Campbell, and the Irish were 13-of-25 at the foul line.
The Red Devils (3-4) were led by junior Trey Soares, with 17 points, and Harris, with 16. The duo combined for five 3-pointers, but veteran Campbell coach Brian Danilov was troubled by Ursuline's rebounding advantage.
"To win against a good team like Ursuline you have to box out on the boards and you just can't give them second and third shot opportunities," he said.
Howland defeated Girard 53-34 in the second game of the night.
The Tigers (4-4) were led by Aaron Womack and Dan Hadzovic, who scored 16 points apiece. Girard (1-5) was led by Lewis Starr's 17 points.
The tournament will conclude on Thursday with Campbell and Girard meeting in the consolation game at 6 p.m., followed by Ursuline and Howland in the championship game.