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South Range puts away Warren JFK
By Jim Flick
Warren
The South Range High boys’ basketball squad blasted the Warren John F. Kennedy High squad in the first quarter Friday, then hung on for a 57-51 victory.
South Range (14-4, 10-3 Inter Tri County Tier 1) led 12-2 before senior guard Martae Hainesworth connected for the first field goal for Warren JFK (9-10).
Hainesworth had also tossed in a pair of free throws for the Eagles’ first points of the night.
The Raiders’ first-quarter onslaught was led by junior Jordan Baker, who scored the first points of the night on a pair of free throws and tallied eight points in the first quarter.
A three-point shot by junior Isaac Schuster gave South Range its biggest lead, 17-6 at the end of the first quarter. It was a deficit Warren JFK never overcame, even though the Eagles outscored the Raiders by small margins in each of the remaining three quarters.
Warren JFK outscored South 13-12 in the second quarter, 10-9 in the third quarter and 22-19 in the game’s last quarter.
Baker scored 16 points in the game, while junior Dan Good contributed 14 points and Brandon Pluchinsky added nine points.
The game’s leading scorer was Warren JFK junior Brendan Cox, who launched three long-range 3-point shots and scored 21 points. Senior Martae Hainesworth added 13 points for the Eagles.
Warren JFK’s offense was hampered by the loss of senior Michael Fredericka, who was taken to the hospital after his head hit the floor in the first half. After the game, JFK coach Shawn Pompelia was uncertain of Fredericka’s condition.
“We’re starting to hit our stride,” said South Range head coach Dave Purins. “We’re making a lot of improvements and our kids are energized. I think tonight I really had seven or eight guys working real hard to help the team win. They’re out there sweating for each other.”
Purins also credited his team’s strong defensive efforts for frustrating Warren JFK’s offense in the first quarter. “We knew who their scorers are, and we tried to get up underneath them so they couldn’t get their feet set and get good shots early. Then I think our guys did a great job getting good shots, and we rebounded well.”
Pompelia was dismayed at his team’s efforts.
“We’ve been playing well and for us to have a performance like this tonight, I’m disappointed. I can’t hide it,” he said. I’m very disappointed in our defense tonight. We didn’t show up tonight, and that’s what disappoints me as a coach.”
Next week, his team will “go back to fundamentals,” Pompelia added.
The Warren JFK coach praised the South Range squad for their efforts.
“That’s a nice ballclub, they’re well-coached,” he said. “I respect what they did tonight.”