Joe Petro comes up big in victory

Crestview, which got 12 points from Jerry Einsiedel, suffered as 6-foot-5 senior Andy Walton fouled out.
By JOHN BUTERA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBIANA -- Western Reserve's Joe Petro came up big several times Tuesday night but he saved his biggest basket for last as the Blue Devils edged Crestview 59-57 in the opener for both teams.
Petro, who took scoring honors with 25, scored in the waning seconds as the Blue Devils ended the game on a 7-0 run after Crestview managed a 57-52 lead with just over one minute left.
Following a Crestview miss, the Blue Devils got the ball downcourt and found Petro who connected with about four seconds left for the game-winner.
It's about defense
"We were just trying to get after it," said Petro. "It's all about the defense.
"I really just got lucky down there. It wasn't a designed play."
With 2:59 left in the game, Crestview looked to be in good shape as Tony Amabile cashed a 3-pointer -- his third of the game -- to give the Rebels a 59-52 lead.
The Rebels really turned things around in the second half, fashioning a 15-2 run after Western Reserve took a 46-37 lead with 3:10 left in the third quarter.
Crestview had just three second-half turnovers, but poor free throw shooting cost the Rebels the game down the stretch. They missed the front end of three one-and-one opportunities in the final minute and a half and the Blue Devils converted each time.
"Those are things we are going to have to learn from," said Crestview coach Rick Gates. "Plus I think we took our final shot too early. We had it drawn up to get one with about three seconds left."
Petro, who scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, got off to a fast start with eight in the first session as the visitors began to use their size to force Crestview into early foul trouble. Thanks to a 6-0 run, the Blue Devils led 20-15 after one.
12-point lead
Western Reserve built a 12-point edge in the second quarter and, thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers from David Drevna, led 41-31 at the half. Drevna scored 17 of his 19 points in the first half and hit five 3-pointers on the night.
Crestview, which got 12 points from Jerry Einsiedel, chipped away at the lead in the third quarter but the Rebels' 6-foot-5 senior Andy Walton picked up his fourth foul and was out of the game by the three-minute mark.
Walton was Crestview's best hope of slowing down the Blue Devils, who have three players at 6-4 or taller.
"Losing Walton to foul trouble and then out of the game [really hurt]," said Gates. "At the half, we told the kids our goal was to try and even it up after three and wear them out in the fourth. We had switched up our defense and the kids stepped it up."