Another game, another rout for Ursuline

March 10, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

The Ursuline Irish are stuck on a number they cannot seem to surpass this postseason.

However, when your average margin of victory is 46.7 points, that’s really not a bad thing.

Mark Hughes scored a game-high 19 points, Dave Collins added 16 and Greg Parella notched 14 to pace Ursuline over LaBrae, 76-35 in Division III district semifinal action Monday at Warren Harding High School.

The win was the 20th of the season for the top-seeded Irish (20-5), who advanced to Friday’s district final against the winner of tonight’s Rootstown-Girard contest.

“We wanted to pressure them right out of the gate, make their guards uncomfortable and just play relentless defense the entire game,” Ursuline coach Keith Gunther said. “Our defense has set the tone for us these first three tournament games and I honestly believe that this is our best three-game defensive stretch all season.”

Like they have in their previous two outings, Ursuline started quick, built an early lead and used a decided height advantage to control the boards at both ends.

Nine points by Hughes and a three-point play by Collins gave the Irish the early 14-2 advantage a little over four minutes into the game. They built a 16-6 lead after one period of play.

Six points each by Collins and Parella in the second frame helped Ursuline increase that margin to 33-16 at the intermission.

“While defense has been our focal point this tournament, we really wanted to play a fast-paced game because that tempo seems to work best for us,” Hughes said.

Hughes now has 1,034 career points and is just four points from tying D’Aundray Brown (1,038) for fifth on Ursuline’s all-time scoring list.

Gunther felt Collins played his best overall game since the season opener, adding that Hughes’ defense has only complemented his offensive play.

“Right now, Dave is getting his swagger and confidence back and is playing his best ball of the season,” Gunther said. “Mark is one of the very best all-around players that we’ve had at Ursuline. He handles the ball well, goes to the basket and just makes plays. For a guard, he’s an unbelievable rebounder and someone who explodes when going to the glass.”

Eight points by Hughes and four by Armon Nasseri after the break helped the Irish increase their lead to 53-26 while Devin Harden, Parella, Vince Venzeio and Collins each added four points in the final stanza to secure yet another 40-plus point victory.

“Our defense sets up our offense so we can push the ball up the court. The key for us the next time out will be to play even harder, no matter who we play,” Collins said. “The goal remains to hold our opponents to 40 points or less.”

Vikings coach Chad Kiser said Ursuline is a very quick team.

“Ursuline is strong and very physical to go with plenty of speed. That’s a combination that’s really tough to defend,” Kiser added. “We’re not used to their kind of quickness and we settled for the shots they wanted us to take. Also, we didn’t do a good job on our outside shots.”

The Irish have won five in a row while the Mustangs end their season with a 14-11 mark.

Ursuline forced 26 turnovers while registering nine steals and six blocks.