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Tough test aced
CANFIELD
The Canfield High School girls basketball team got exactly what it wanted on Monday night while South Range got everything the team hoped for except a victory.
The Cardinals used a strong fourth quarter to pull away for a 57-46 win while the Raiders became more battle tested against a tough Division I opponent on the road.
“I get tired of hearing the Division III vs. Division I,” Cardinals head coach Matt Reel said. “A good basketball team’s a good basketball team. We’re happy to get a win.”
In what was a three-point game entering the fourth quarter, seniors Rachel Tinkey and Erin Risner combined for 12 points, including 6-of-7 from the free throw line, to give the Cardinals (18-3, 9-1 All-American Conference Red Division) the edge they needed.
“This was a big win for us, because we know South Range is a very good team,” said Tinkey, who finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. “They have some really good guards that made things difficult on us, so I think tonight was good for us.”
While the Raiders (17-4, 12-0 Inter Tri-County League Tier One) would have loved to leave with a win, they’ll take their bruises if they give them a bump in the Division III tournament.
“You hope, and it did exactly what we wanted,” Raiders head coach Tony Matisi said.
“It put us in positions — down one, pressure situations — where you gotta score and find a way to put the ball in the bucket.
“It puts you in great positions you can’t get and simulate in practice.”
The Raiders struggled to limit the Cardinals on the offensive glass, leading to multiple second-chance opportunities in which Canfield converted.
In one series, with under six minutes remaining, Matisi said he felt like the Cardinals got five offensive rebounds — he wasn’t far off — before Ashley Kaleel connected on a three for her only basket.
“That was the dagger right there,” Matisi said. “They’re a good solid, fundamentally sound team. Just what we wanted to see.”
Senior guard Ashley Sharp had a team-high 11 points and also dished out six assists. Morgan Czopur added 10 for the Raiders.
“You try and get into their basketball heads that this was a good thing for us,” Matisi said. “Hopefully they understand that.”
Reel puts a big emphasis on second-chance points with his team, so needless to say he was happy with their performance. The Cardinals out-rebounded the Radiers 29-19, many of which led directly to points.
“Those easy ones build confidence and I think they sort of deflate the other team defensively,” said Reel, who’s in his first season at Canfield. “I thought tonight we did a real good job attacking consistently throughout the night.”
He was also pleased to see his team finish down the stretch, outscoring the Raiders 17-9 in the closing quarter.
“We didn’t do a real good job finishing the game against Columbiana,” he said. “I’m really happy with the fact that we were able to extend the lead against a really good team like South Range.”
Lynnae Whitehead contributed 17 points, five rebounds and three assists for the Cardinals.