TRUMBULL COUNTY Keirsey helps lift Ridge past Maplewood 69-51

The team had a slow start against the Rockets.
By JIM FLICK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MINERAL RIDGE -- After a slow start, the Mineral Ridge High boys basketball team exploded in the third quarter to blast Maplewood 69-51 on Friday.
The Rams were led by senior forward Vance Keirsey, who scored 17 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Nick Diana and Micah Hall netted 10 points each for Mineral Ridge (2-0).
The first quarter ended with a 14-12 lead for Maplewood (0-1), but Mineral Ridge pulled ahead in the second quarter to take a 30-21 halftime lead. Keirsey and Diana led the Rams in the first half, scoring eight points each.
Coach expected more
Despite the halftime lead, Mineral Ridge coach Del Ruiter said he wasn't happy when he walked into the locker room.
"At halftime, I challenged the kids," Ruiter recalled after the game. "I told them, 'There's no way this team [Maplewood] has as much talent as you. Let's show 'em.'
"I raised my voice a few times," he admitted, chuckling.
Charged by Ruiter's challenger, the Rams stormed out of the locker room and out-scored Maplewood 28-11 in the third quarter to take a 58-32 lead at the end of three quarters.
"We score points in bunches," Ruiter said. He added that against Maplewood "we controlled the tempo. Our kids forced the action. These kids know how to win."
The Rams' scoring totals included 10 players. Besides the three leaders, Wade Campbell scored eight points, John Hack tallied six points, Josh Garland, Dan Hawout and Mike McRoberts tossed in four points each; and Nick Dominic and T.J. Bevilacqua contributed three points each. As a team, the Rams pulled down 26 rebounds.
Pressure rattled Rockets
Besides outscoring Maplewood, Mineral Ridge turned the game around with defensive pressure that stymied the Rockets.
Maplewood's scoring leaders included both one of the team's shortest players, 5-7 senior guard Royce Magdych, who scored 14 points, and the game's tallest player, 6-7 junior center Craig Clemson, who contributed 10 points.
Mike Hillman tallied eight points for Maplewood, Marty Urchek tossed in seven points, Dan McConnell contributed six points, Jarrett Patridge scored four points, and Luke Clay and Ryan Bell each contributed two points.
After the game, Maplewood head coach Matt Urchek called the Rams "a fast, athletic team. They're going to win a lot of games."
Urchek admitted his squad was troubled by the Rams' determined defense. "They game us a lot of pressure, and we just didn't make a good of good decisions with the ball. We didn't execute well."