Ursuline’s Hobbs, Algahmee shoot down Mooney

February 4, 2017 at 12:09a.m.

Mooney vs Ursuline

By Gary Housteau

YOUNGSTOWN

Dakota Hobbs and Anise Algahmee combined for 30 second-half points as Ursuline got hot and turned a close game into an 80-52 rout of rival Cardinal Mooney on Friday night.

The Irish led 18-16 after one quarter and just 34-27 at the break, but Hobbs scored a game-high 27 points and Algahmee added 22 as Ursuline pulled away.

“It was a good win against our rival,” said Ursuline head coach Keith Gunther. “I think the difference in the ball game was we made a lot of shots.”

Hobbs scored 18 in the second half and Algahmee added 12 as the Irish expanded their lead 58-39 after three quarters. They led by as many as 29 before it was over.

“I loved the way were unselfish with the ball, I thought we were finding the open guy all of the time,” Gunther said. “I thought they did a great job of doubling and tripling Anthony Howell, but the difference was Hobbs made shots, Anise made shots and Vince [Venzeio] hit a couple of good shots.”

Howell finished with 14 points, eight in the first half, and a game-high seven rebounds for the Irish. But Gunther wasn’t happy with his effort to start the game.

“I thought he was playing nonchalant, I knew when he didn’t win the jump that he wasn’t ready to play,” the coach said. “So I was getting into him and I sat him down and he kind of came back and got into a flow.”

Hobbs was obviously in a flow of his own the entire second half scoring 11 points in the third quarter alone.

“In the first half I had a couple of looks that I passed up on,” Hobbs said. “So I shot a couple and I was feeling good, so I said, ‘I feel like I can make a couple shots tonight so keep shooting.’ ”

Hobbs made shots in transition and from behind the arc as well some mid-range shots. He also made seven of his eight free throws.

“The problem with Dakota is if you get up and guard him he’s going to blow by you because he’s so fast,” Gunther said. “So you got to pick your poison. Am I going to give him the 3-ball or am I going to let him blow by me? And fortunately for us he’s been making shots, so it really makes him a tough guard. But this was his best game he played all year, hands down, no doubt about it.

“But the thing that people won’t see in the paper is how good he is defensively. He takes guys out of the game with his defense and getting deflections. He’s a great athlete. He just signed to go to Malone to play football. I’m proud of the kid.”

Algahmee, who scored 10 points in the first quarter, played his typical game, according to his coach.

“Anise has been like that all year,” Gunther said. “He’s knocked down open shots all year. He’s been the leader of our team and he’s just been the general, like he was tonight. He just came out on fire tonight actually to keep the game close in the first half.”

Mooney head coach Carey Palermo certainly knew what hit his team.

“They shot the lights out,” Palermo said. “Anise and Dakota, they picked a great game to click. A hand in their face, it didn’t matter, those guys were on fire. Our emphasis was trying to take Anthony Howell out of the game, but we knew Anise and Dakota could shoot it. Those guys have been great players for three years and they played like seniors tonight. They played like seniors that carried their team and I’m not surprised. They really stepped up.”

Mooney (5-12) was led by Johnnie Mikos with 15 points on four 3-pointers and Pat Pelini with 13 points.

Ursuline is now 11-5.

“It puts us in a good position for the tournament,” Gunther said. “I take my hat off to my former assistant [Palermo], he’s doing a great job and his kids are playing hard. But it was a great win.”