Harding falls to Mentor in 2 OT

By Jon Moffett

Mentor’s Cole Krizancic had a game-high 42 points.Harding’s Angel Gonzalez had 28.

CLEVELAND — Warren Harding coach Steve Arnold did his best to prepare his team for a tough contest on Sunday against Mentor.

But not even he could predict five full quarters of basketball between the budding rivals.

The Raiders (8-1) were defeated 99-91 by the Cardinals (9-0) in a double-overtime game at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center. The game was part of the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic.

“That’s a heck of team,” Arnold said. “I think both teams played great.”

Both teams also were led by impressive performances by key players.

Cole Krizancic was the engine that powered the Cardinals and left jaws on the floor with a game-high 42-point performance. The 5-foot-11 sophomore scored 12 baskets and had 16 points from the free throw line. Harding was led by senior Angel Gonzalez, who had 28.

“I was feeling pretty good and I was surprised when I found out how many [points] I had,” Krizancic said. “It’s a pretty great feeling.”

Arnold said he couldn’t help but be impressed with Krizancic’s performance.

“Well, number one, he’s a competitor, I think that’s what people fail to realize,” Arnold said. “People will look at his size and [discredit him]. But he’s a fierce competitor. And when you’re a competitor and you have some skill, that makes a heck of a basketball player.”

Gonzalez and Harding got off to a fast start. The Raiders led 22-16 after one quarter and by eight at halftime. Gonzalez has 22 first-half points and the Harding defense forced Mentor to shoot outside.

But the Cardinals showed fight and continued to drain buckets, forcing the Raiders to run up and down the floor with them. Mentor opened the second half on a 10-0 run and led by one point with a minute left in the game.

Later, Mentor junior Matt Solden missed one of two free throws to put the Cardinals up by two with 1.5 seconds left. Gonzalez stood on the baseline and heaved a fullcourt pass to senior Kennis White, who scored a layup as time expired. Arnold said the team works on the play “twice a week” for those scenarios.

Although Harding was considered the visitors, many Raiders’ fans who made the trip felt right at home and erupted in cheers.

Overtime

Harding won the tip in overtime — as they did at the start of regulation — and scored on its first possession. But both teams scored a combined four points in the first overtime period as Mentor played mostly keep-away and missed a shot before time expired.

Double overtime

Harding couldn’t find an answer for Krizancic and the Cardinals’ offense. The Raiders fell into the foul trap and sent Mentor to the line.

Mentor coach Bob Krizancic, Cole’s father and the former YSU standout and Girard coach, said even though his team deviated from its long-range gameplan that he wasn’t worried.

“We knew we’d have to get very good shots in transition,” said Krizancic, who led Girard to the Division II state championship in 1993. “And we really work hard in practice attacking the bucket. I think our guards do a really good job of that.”

Five Harding players, including Gonzalez, scored in double figures. White and Tre’ Brown each had 17, Fred Williams added 15 and Shaheed Davis finished with 10.

Arnold said it’s on him to make sure the loss doesn’t rattle the Raiders.

“It’s not like we lost to a team that’s not very good,” he said. “We lost to an undefeated team in double overtime ... We just have to come back and play hard [at practice] Wednesday.”

jmoffett@vindy.com