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Upper Tier sweeps ITCL All-Star games
BERLIN CENTER
Columbiana High School senior Devin Rice says he’s used to hearing Clippers basketball coach Ron Moschella’s voice while shooting.
And he maintains that it doesn’t faze him.
So when Rice was letting shots fly during the boys 3-point shoot out at the Inter Tri-County League All-Star event Thursday night at Western Reserve High School, his coach and teammates counting every made basket out loud was just background noise. The Clippers sharpshooter drained 15 shots from behind the arc to win the 3-point shoot out.
“Honestly, Coach Moschella has done more for my game than I can even explain,” Rice said. “He’s not only made me a better player, but a better man as well.”
Rice and the rest of the ITCL Upper Tier team rallied from a double-digit deficit to take the lead in the final minute and win the boys all-star game, 85-82. Springfield High School’s Hunter Snyder did his best to find open shooters, including teammate Brandon Chamberlain who hit a big three to help close the game late in the game.
“This was fun,” Rice said. “I mean we’re all pretty good friends and it’s nice to play one last time.
“It doesn’t hurt to win.”
While the Upper Tier finished on top in the end, it was the Lower Tier that dazzled with dunks and fast-break scoring.
Wellsville High School senior Nigel Spann attempted a number of dunks — most of them successful — while also lighting it up from 3-point range in an impressive first half display.
“It’s nice to see how people work together on a team when they have played together before,” Spann said.
On the few dunks that didn’t fall, he said he was just getting his feet under him. Besides, he was having the most fun testing his range from outside.
“I like to get shots up more anyway,” Spann said. “I find getting in a rhythm like that more fun.”
Playing in his home gym, Blue Devils senior Joe Falasca was able to show off with some aggressive blocked shots that the fans enjoyed. He too struggled on a few dunk attempts, but the 6-foot-6 forward had a reason.
“I’ve played in two other games the past two nights,” Falasca said. “Plus I’ve been running track, so my legs are kinda dead.”
Falasca plans to run track in college at Glenville State University, meaning his competitive basketball days are now behind him. That doesn’t bother him too much.
“Instead of playing against some of the better players in the league, I was playing with them tonight,” Falasca said. “I just loved it. Great way to go out.”
The girls game was won by the Upper Tier as well, although they led virtually from start to finish, cruising to 58-49 victory.
At halftime of the game, the area’s best girls shooters took aim at the 3-point shoot out. South Range High School’s Morgan Czopur came out of the stands to take part in the competition and ended up in a three-way tie for the top spot with 12 made baskets in one minute. Czopur, along with Kaitlyn Totani of Jackson-Milton and Tory White of Western Reserve, needed another round to determine the winner.
The Raiders’ junior drilled nine 3-pointers in just 30 seconds to take home the title.
“I’ve never really done anything like this before and then I got asked to do it I was really excited,” Czopur said. “So I just went and practiced a lot.”
Czopur said she came in third in Wednesday’s Al Beach Classic 3-point competition in Boardman. She had a little bit more fun Thursday.
“Yeah I was happy with it,” she joked.