Spartans’ defense stifles Harding

The inside-outside combination of Darryce Moore and Monica Touvelle was too much, the Raiders coach said.

By Jon Moffett

WARREN — Boardman coach Ron Moschella can sleep a little bit easier now.

Coming off a devastating loss to Canton McKinley in the Federal League championship game, Moschella said the loss didn’t sit well with him and the team.

“We hate to lose,” he said. “I haven’t slept since Saturday.”

The Spartans (16-3) responded by putting Warren Harding to bed Monday night, 64-31.

Harding coach P.J. Notar got consistency out of his team, but maybe not the kind he’d prefer. The Raiders (15-3) scored six points in each of the first three quarters before tallying 13 in the final frame.

“I think our kids played really well, and I think our defense really was the key in that particular game,” Moschella said. “I thought the kids played well.”

The Raiders had a plan for the Boardman defense from the onset.

Notar dug deep into the playbook and pulled out a dated strategy.

His team played the four-corners offense, which consists of a player holding the ball while their four teammates stand at the corners of half the court. The Raiders used the strategy for about two minutes early in the first quarter.

“The idea was to make them play us man-to-man,” Notar said. “We feel that we are more athletic to them man-to-man. If you give in, and we did, and your shots don’t go in then you fall behind.”

The patient Spartans stood in their zones as the Raiders milked the clock early.

But Boardman senior Monica Touvelle finally had enough and forced a shot, which fell short and led to the first Spartan points of the night.

Touvelle, who will play basketball at Youngstown State next year, had 16 points, 14 of which came in the second half when she found her groove from beyond the arc. Touvelle had12 points from long range — some from extremely long range.

“Everyone was setting me up pretty well, and really I’ll just shoot it from anywhere, I don’t really look down,” she said.

She may not have looked down, but she had to be happy when she looked up at the scoreboard.

The Spartans scored 40 points in the first half and added 24 more in the second half.

Touvelle said her team didn’t want to have a repeat performance and stayed focused.

“Right before the game, [Moschella] said let’s win this because losing can become a habit,” she said. “We really wanted to pull this one out and work for the tournament.”

When Touvelle wasn’t knocking down shots from the outside, teammate and fellow senior Darryce Moore was cleaning up the inside.

Moore, who will attend Ohio State in the fall, had a game-high 23 points. Early in the fourth quarter, Moore had just as many points (23) as the entire Raider team.

Notar said the combination of Touvelle and Moore was tough to combat.

“We tried to [focus] on them, and it worked for a little bit, but then they were sliding through,” he said. “That’s why those two are going to play college ball.”

Moschella said Notar and the Raiders did a good job of shutting down Touvelle, who had only two points at the half. But he said good players don’t let the other team determine their effectiveness for long.

“She can shoot,” he said. “[Notar] took her away for a while, he’s a good coach. And then we just moved her to the point guard and made them decide what to do then. And that just made [Moore] open more.”

Moschella also credited the team’s overall talent level for a good game and season. He said he was also encouraged by the play of some younger players. He said he hopes the younger players can carry the torch and continue the winning tradition at the school.

“We’ve got good players, and you win with talent,” he said.

jmoffett@vindy.com