BOYS BASKETBALL Fitch turns back Mooney, 73-60

James Wallace scored 29 points and added 16 rebounds for the Falcons.
By CHUCK HOUSTEAU
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
AUSTINTOWN -- Despite winning just once in its first 11 games, Austintown Fitch coach Roger Day felt his team was ready to turn the corner.
"We've been playing well lately," Day said. "We lost six games by six points or less but we just haven't been able to close out any games."
The Falcons (2-10) put four good quarters of basketball together and closed strong to turn back Cardinal Mooney 73-60 in a non-conference game on Senior Night at Austintown.
Senior center James Wallace scored 29 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead the Falcons who hadn't tasted victory since December 9.
"I thought they kicked our rear-ends, plain and simple," said Cardinal Mooney coach Steve Leslie. "Fitch out-hustled us, out-played us and out-coached us.
Cardinals weren't ready
"I'll take full responsibility. We weren't ready to play."
The Falcons certainly were ready to play an old Steel Valley Conference rival and came out strong with a 7-0 start on a 3-pointer by Wallace and two baskets by senior Tom Hahn.
That start led to perhaps Fitch's best half this season.
"We played really well in that first half," Day said. "We've played sporadic basketball at times this year but that first half was the key to winning tonight."
Fitch led 19-16 after the first quarter and opened up a 13-point lead at halftime, 37-24, by closing out the second quarter on an 11-3 run.
Good defensive play
The Falcons did an outstanding job in the second quarter on defensive holding Mooney to just eight points.
Fitch guards Anthony Berdis, Marcus Boyd and Keane Boyd did a good job of denying Mooney penetration and forced the Cardinals to take outside shots which didn't find their mark.
"We didn't do a good job of shooting the basketball," Leslie said. "We couldn't make any shots and they were making all their shots."
Offensively, Wallace was almost unstoppable in the paint despite Mooney playing a very physical game.
The attention paid to Wallace by the Cards enabled Hahn and Keane Boyd to have success in the scoring column.
Hahn finished with 14 points while Keane Boyd added 11 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.
"Tonight we played like a team," Wallace said. "It was senior night, a special night and I think the young guys really stepped it up and played hard."
Mooney makes run
Mooney (6-4) made a run at the Falcons in the third quarter to get as close as eight points at the end of the period but Fitch regrouped and won the game down the stretch at the foul line.
The Falcons made 16 of 20 free throws in the final period to push the lead 19 points at 70-51 late in the game.
"I'm really proud of our kids," Day said. "They deserved this game and they played four good quarters of basketball to get it."
Mooney was led by Desmond Marrow who had 13 points and eight rebounds before fouling out late in the contest. L.J. Sutton also had 11 points for the Cardinals.