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South Range stays unbeaten with defensive effort
By Greg Gulas
NEW MIDDLETOWN
Something had to give Friday night when Springfield hosted unbeaten South Range.
The Tigers have averaged nearly 72 points in their first six games under first-year head coach Steve French.
Veteran coach John Cullen’s had allowed an average of 42 points in nine games.
Good defense always seems to hold the upper hand on an explosive offense.
Jaxon Anderson scored 17 points, Brennan Toy added 16 and the Raiders held the Tigers to just 16 first-half points as South Range rolled to a 55-43 victory.
The Raiders are now 10-0, including 6-0 on the road.
“This is a tough place to play and a rivalry game on top of it, so you play hard from opening tip to the final buzzer because anything can happen. You just cannot let up,” Toy said.
“A win like this helps us maintain the momentum that we have already built and while it is nice to remain undefeated, we also have to realize that we still have work to do and must keep getting better as we move forward.”
The South Range defense set the tone early, holding Springfield to just seven first-quarter points and 16 in the first half.
Both teams struggled at the outset offensively with an Evan Ohlin bucket giving the Tigers a modest 2-1 lead at the 6:02 mark of the opening quarter.
South Range then went on an 11-0 run, keyed by four points each from Chris Brooks and Mike Cunningham as the Raiders opened a 12-7 lead heading to the second period.
Two free throws by Brandon Walters pulled the Tigers within 18-14 at 3:09 of the second frame. But Anderson scored 11 points in the quarter and South Range used a 12-2 run for a 30-16 halftime lead.
“We had a great game plan by coach Cullen and our entire coaching staff, but it was a collective effort by everyone, especially our defense,” Anderson said. “In a game against a good opponent like Springfield, once you get the lead you cannot let up. You have to keep your foot on the pedal and keep playing as hard as you can at both ends of the court.”
Drew Clark’s bucket 66 seconds into the third quarter cut the Tigers deficit to 32-22, but Toy’s 11-point effort, which included back-to-back-to-back triples, helped South Range open a 43-23 advantage before settling for a 45-31 lead heading to the final frame.
“Our defense has bought into what we are doing and only one team this year, Tallmadge, was able to score 50 points on us,” Cullen said. “Mike Cunningham is our best on-ball defender, Jaxon Anderson our best off-ball defender and Brady White a great hedger on ball screens who stops penetration. Most high schools with three really good defenders are tough to beat. When you have five good defenders, you’re next to unstoppable.”
One area the Tigers (4-3) did dominate was on the glass where they outrebounded the Raiders 38-25, including 23-7 on the offensive end.
“We have to start faster and cannot dig a hole for ourselves at the outset of the game,” French said. “You can’t wait to get punched in the mouth before you get going.”
French was pleased with Ohlin, who scored 17 points.
“Evan is a good leader and a steady player,” the coach said. “The ball is in his hands a lot and he takes advantage of his opportunities to drive and score.”