Mooney, Struthers advance with double-digit victories

On Friday, Mooney plays Campbell and the Wildcats meet tonight's East Palestine-Springfield winner.
By JOHN BASSETTI
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
SALEM -- There was little question which team was in control in the first game, but the second game was still in question until the final three minutes.
Cardinal Mooney beat Lisbon, 71-32, in the first game of the night of the Division III sectional and Struthers eliminated Brookfield, 74-60, in the nightcap.
Matt Wilson, Andy Sepesy and Matt Kukura were the key players for Struthers, while R.J. Ragan was the fourth Wildcat in double figures against the Trumbull Athletic Conference opponent.
Behind by one
Struthers trailed 28-27 at halftime, but Sepesy made four 3-pointers in the third quarter to awaken the Metro Athletic Conference Wildcats who outscored Brookfield, 20-6.
"He got hot," Brookfield coach Tom Roskos said. "In the span he made three 3's I think we missed three easy attempts at the other end that kind of started the fast break. We had four guys going to the boards and they were able to get an easy outlet to him three or four times in a row."
In the fourth period, Matt Wilson made 11 of 14 free throws to keep Struthers slightly out of reach.
Wilson had 25 points and 12 rebounds, Kukura had 16 points, Sepesy tallied 15 points and Ragan added 11 points.
"I've probably been criticized a little bit for giving him such a green light as I have in the past, but all summer he did that," Struthers coach John Corey said. "Even in practice he goes through spells like that."
A fullcourt press by Brookfield in the fourth period had some effect, but it wasn't enough to seriously stop the Wildcats.
Worked through pressure
"We see a lot of different presses in the MAC. We have a couple good ballhandlers who can get us out of pressure and create some easy opportunities. But I didn't think we finished very well. I thought we did a good job of breaking the press, but we didn't finish very well at the other end, like missing a couple blocked jumpers. That hurt us for a little spell, but, overall, we're fine with that pressure."
Brandon Johnson, junior Chad Kostra and sophomore Bobby Thompson had 20, 16 and 13 points, respectively, for Brookfield (7-14). Kostra had 16 rebounds, while Thompson grabbed 11 rebounds.
In a sectional final on Friday at 6:30, Struthers (11-10) plays the winner of tonight's East Palestine-Springfield game.
Cardinal Mooney (9-11) has a tough task on Friday at 8 p.m. when the Cardinals know they won't be part of any 39-point win like they were Monday night.
"We told the guys that once they shower and change, it's time to start thinking about Campbell," Mooney coach Steve Leslie said. "They're a seeded team {No. 2], so we've got our work cut out for us."
Mooney lost to Campbell by seven points in its second game of the season.
Football legs
"We started 1-8, so I don't think people thought we were much of a basketball team," Leslie said of his team's record early in the season. "It didn't look real promising."
Against Lisbon, the Cardinals used 10 players generously with junior L.J. Sutton scoring 19 and Brandon Beachum 10.
"It's a credit to the first 10 in our rotation, who came in and passed the ball. Twenty assists shows we got the ball to people in open space."
Beachum also had 15 rebounds, while the 6-5 Sutton grabbed 13.
The win was Mooney's sixth in a row, following victories over Warren JFK, Rayen, Youngstown Christian, Boardman and Beaver Local.
Lisbon bowed out 1-20.
bassetti@vindy.com