Harding uses ‘heat wave’ to roll on the road, 86-51

Mooney was
no match for
the red-hot Raiders.

By JOE SCALZO

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — Once the “Microwave” heated up on Friday night, the Mooney High boys basketball team was pretty much cooked.

After a nice start by the Cardinals, Warren Harding junior guard Sheldon Brogdon — nicknamed “Microwave” for his ability to heat up in a hurry — hit back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the first quarter, turning a 7-4 deficit into a 13-7 lead.

The Raiders rolled the rest of the way, winning 86-51 in a Steel Valley Conference game.

“He was on fire,” Harding coach Steve Arnold said. “He was in one of those zones he gets in.”

Added Cardinals coach Steve Leslie, “I’ve said all along, Sheldon Brogdon is special. I love the way he plays. When he gets going on all cylinders, that’s when they’re really tough.”

Brogdon shot 6-for-8 on 3-pointers and finished with 20 points for the Raiders (14-1, 2-0), who defeated Mooney 88-38 earlier in the season.

“I was shooting really good in warmups,” said Brogdon, who shares his nickname with former Pistons guard Vinnie “Microwave” Johnson. “I think the team looked to me.”

Arnold entered Friday’s game worried his team might not bring enough energy, due in part to the lopsided result earlier in the season and also because the Raiders hadn’t played since the previous Saturday, when they won an emotional road game against Euclid.

“I think we started slow,” Arnold said. “I had to call timeout and chew them out a little bit. They got focused and obviously we did what we had to do.”

Damian Eargle added 15 points and Chris Henderson had 14 points and seven rebounds.

Desmar Jackson scored 10 points with six assists for the Raiders, who ended any lingering suspense by shooting 13 of 15 from the field in the third quarter to take a 73-38 lead.

Harding outscored Mooney 58-27 in the paint.

“They’re so athletic and they force you to take a lot of tough shots,” Leslie said. “Their transition game is really tough to defend.”

Senior L.J. Sutton scored 18 points to lead the Cardinals (8-8, 3-1), while Ronnie Martino had 10 points and Tim Marlowe had four assists.

“I thought in the first quarter we got off to a great start,” Leslie said. “I thought our kids took the ball at them and I was pleased by that.”

Although the outcome was never in doubt, Leslie saw progress from when the two teams played earlier in the season.

“This is the type of game that makes us better,” Leslie said. “Nobody likes to get beat like that, but it really helps us get better for the tournament.

“I think when we’re playing well, we’re as good as anyone in our tournament.”

The Raiders have played nine of their 15 games on the road, which should prepare them well for the tournament. It’s a continuation of what Arnold started in the summer, when Harding traveled to Euclid twice a week to compete against teams in the greater Cleveland area.

“It doesn’t faze them,” he said. “Sometimes the kids play harder for road games.”

scalzo@vindy.com