Big Ben leads Poland, 72-71

By Pete Mollica

The Bulldogs got a huge challenge from Fitch at the Holiday Classic.

BOARDMAN — Fitch High head boys basketball coach Roger Day learned the game from one of the best and Saturday night he came within a point of knocking off his mentor Ken Grisdale of Poland.

The Bulldogs managed to fight off the Falcons, hitting seven of eight free throws in the final two minutes to post a 72-71 victory in the opening game of the Boardman Holiday Classic.

To say the contest was a close battle would be an understatement as there were 10 ties and eight lead changes.

“It might have been a great game to watch from the stands, but from where I was sitting it was a gut-wrenching battle,” said Grisdale.

“Roger has done a great job with those kids and they played us exactly the way you have to play us if you want to beat us,” he added. “We might not have played our best game, but we’re very happy to have come away with a victory tonight.”

The Bulldogs (6-1) got a great game from junior Ben Donlow, who had a game-high 26 points, 17 of them in the second half,

“This was Ben’s kind of game and he did a great job tonight,” Grisdale added.

Donlow put the Bulldogs ahead for keeps with a basket with 5:21 remaining in the contest, but the Falcons, behind junior Jon Ballard, just wouldn’t go away. With 49 seconds remaining Fitch was still within two points 68-66.

But Poland got some clutch free throw shooting by junior Niko Fatimus, who made four straight in those final seconds and the Bulldogs were seven for eight in the final two minutes to take control. Ballard made a 3-pointer with six seconds left but it wasn’t enough.

“He’s [Grisdale] the genius at this game and I played for him and this summer he helped us put in this offense,” Day said.

“I told our kids after the game that I wasn’t happy with the outcome, but if they played like this the rest of the season we were going to win a lot of games,” he said.

While Donlow led the Bulldogs he had good support from Fatimus with 15 points and Luke Wollet with 12.

Ballard, who led the Falcons with 21 points, had 12 of them in the fourth quarter including a pair of 3-point goals, while senior Eric Braxton finished with 17 points.

“We’re still a young team with 11 juniors and one senior,” said Grisdale. “And we are still looking for our go-to guys. There were times when we wanted some things done, but they never happened and a lot of that has to do with young players.”

The contest was close from start to finish. Fitch held the biggest lead of the first half 32-26 and the Falcons held control most of the way until Donlow’s three-point play gave Poland its first lead of the second half 48-47 with 1:53 left in the third quarter.

The Falcons tied the game at 50 and it went back and fourth until Donlow’s basket at 5:21 put the Bulldogs ahead for keeps. Poland led 65-61 and 67-63 before Michael Miles hit a 3-pointer with 49 seconds left to cut the lead to two points 68-66.

Fatimus hit two free throws before William Mahone added a bucket for the Falcons and then Fatimus added another pair for a 72-68 lead with 27 seconds remaining. Ballard’s long 3-pointer with six seconds left only set the final score.