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Cold-shooting Fitch can’t stay with N.C.
By Ryan Jones
AUSTINTOWN
There’s cold and then there’s below freezing.
The Fitch High boys basketball team was the latter — hitting only 3 of 22 field goal attempts in the first half as North Canton Hoover rolled to a 71-44 Federal League victory.
Fitch coach Jason Baker said lack of execution played a prominent role in the fist half.
“We got some open looks for Jonas Ballard in the corner for 3s against their press,” he said. “And we are comfortable with Jonas taking those shots, but they didn’t go down. Offensively, we have been streaky shooting the ball all season. It [shooting] is probably our biggest weakness, but we made too many mistakes against the pressure and didn’t execute our offense.”
Hoover coach Randy Montgomery, whose team held a 32-12 first half advantage, said he was eager to see how his team would perform.
“We had a great week of practice and tonight we took it to the floor,” he said. “That’s something you expect out of a veteran team, but we are fairly inexperienced so I was happy with how we transitioned from practice to game.”
Hoover used a variety full court pressures to force the Falcons (1-4, 0-2) into 20 turnovers.
“We knew coming in that Ballard was a good shooter and I thought even with our press that we closed out on him pretty well,” Montgomery said. “He [Ballard] missed a few early and never was able to get into a good rhythm.”
Junior Taylor Moore led the Vikings with 16 points. Nyles Evans (15 points), Chad Feinberg (13 points) and Dan Iero (12 points) led a balanced attack for Hoover (3-0, 1-0).
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Fitch. The Falcons scored 32 second-half points and outscored the Vikings 17-14 in the fourth quarter.
“We would have quit last year if we had gotten down this far,” Baker said. “This is a process and our coaches and kids understand that now. The second half is a testament to the type of character that this team has developed. We took some steps in the right direction and we have to build off that.”
Sophomore Billy Price led Fitch with 12 points — all after intermission.
“I thought we did a much better job of spacing the floor and getting him the ball inside after halftime,” Baker said. “Tonight he [Price] looked like a Federal League player, and one that can be a force for us.”
Dan Chepke had eight points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Falcons. Arnold had seven points and team-high 10 rebounds for Hoover.