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Mooney humbles Ursuline
The Fighting Irish led by 10 at halftime
By Greg Gulas
YOUNGSTOWN
Danny Reese is the lone senior starting for the Cardinal Mooney High boys basketball team this season.
Failing to score in the opening period and notching just five points in the first half gave him a subtle reminder that he had to kick his game up a notch if he expected his Cardinals to beat arch-rival Ursuline.
Reese proceeded to score 14 of his game-high 21 points in Friday’s final quarter as the Cardinals overcame a 25-15 halftime deficit to defeat the Fighting Irish 55-49 at the Cardinals’ gymnasium.
“Give Ursuline credit because they played excellent defense the entire first half,” Reese said. “To our credit we really played tough defense the entire game and once we got confidence offensively, we began to click as a team.”
Khiree Gregory scored four of his 10 points in the opening period and the Fighting Irish held the Cardinals without a point until the 45-second mark.
Devonte Jenkins, who had a team-high 20 points coming off the bench, scored six of his points in the second period as Ursuline outscored the Cardinals, 17-13 to forge a 10-point halftime advantage.
“It really was a tale of two halves,” Ursuline coach Keith Gunther said. “We played alright in the first half, enough to get a lead and I thought that our size posed a problem for them.
“To their credit though, they hung around, got confidence and then comfortable with the lead and that was the story of the game,” Gunther added.
Eight Cardinals scored in the third period, helping Mooney to a 17-8 advantage as they cut the Ursuline lead to 33-32 with a quarter remaining.
“As a staff we wanted the first three possessions of the second half to take place inside, but settled for three jumpers from the outside,” Gunther said. “The two big keys were the 17 and 23 points we allowed in the final two quarters, and way too many unforced turnovers.”
Reese’s 14 points in the final period was the nail in the coffin for the Fighting Irish (1-1) as the Cardinals (3-0) outscored Ursuline, 40-24 after the intermission to secure their third straight win to start the season.
“We were really out of sync in the first half and after we adjusted from a one guard front in the opening half to a two guard front after halftime, good things began to happen for us,” Cardinals coach Chris Kohl said. “[Devonte] Jenkins and [Ryan] Strollo were big concerns for us and you have to credit Joe DeNiro tonight for his defense on Strollo. That really was big.
“We’re a young team that starts a senior, three juniors and a sophomore and we’ll only get better,” Kohl added. “As Danny [Reese] goes, so go the Cardinals.”
Doug Caputo, who had eight points and a team high-high nine rebounds for the Cardinals, said the team dedicated the game to the late Cardinal assistant and Fighting Irish coach, Dave Petty.
The Cardinals finished 14-of-21 from the free throw line, all attempts coming in the second half while the Fighting Irish were 10-of-14 overall, and just four of five after the intermission.
“Our transition game was much better in the second half and our offense just fed off of our defense,” Reese said. “My teammates found me and then fed me the ball in the second half.”