Salem wins, but loses Gerace

February 22, 2017 at 12:05a.m.

SALEM

Salem’s 20-point victory over Niles on Tuesday contained a loss.

In the Quakers’ regular-season finale, senior Jon Gerace was twice assessed technical fouls for hanging on the rim, the last one coming in the fourth quarter of an 81-61 victory.

Salem coach Rich Hart said those technicals mean Gerace will miss Salem’s next two games.

“The rule is in effect for not that type of technical,” Hart said. “It’s in effect for fighting or profanity. This is a weird technicality. The rule says you have two technicals, you have to sit two games.”

Shifting from regular season “does not make any difference,” Hart said. “It’s just too bad.”

The Red Dragons (5-16) can empathize about a tough loss. Eric Marino is their acting coach as long-time head coach Ron Price recently suffered a heart attack and is sidelined from games while recovering.

“It’s tough, it’s very emotional,” Niles senior Ty’rese Williams said. “He means a lot to us. Without his presence on the sidelines, it [creates] a big impact on us.”

Marino, who was Niles girls head coach for six seasons, said: “It’s obviously hard when you lose your leader like we lost Coach Price.

“I think the kids have responded very well,” Marino said. “He’s still involved in game-planning and he’s still making decisions.

“We’re just soldiers listening to our leader at practice.”

The Red Dragons were in trouble immediately as the Quakers (10-12) raced to a 15-0 lead. Mitch Davidson’s three baskets included two 3-pointers.

“It’s tough to come back from that, they are a good team,” Marino said. “[Davidson] can play. And I knew we would have some trouble with their size inside.”

Davidson scored a career-high 37 points and had 15 rebounds. He said he was unaware of his scoring total until “my little brother” told him.

“I was pretty excited,” Davidson said. “We started real well. Coach told us to [treat this] like a tournament game and I think we did a great job.”

The Red Dragons out-scored the Quakers 13-6 the rest of the first quarter but the Quakers’ 6-0 run to open the second made it 27-13. Three-pointers by Williams and Jasson Faison helped keep the Quakers within reach at halftime, 39-27.

In the third quarter, Niles edged closer. Cyler Kane-Johnson hit a 3-pointer to make it 50-42 but that was as close as the Red Dragons could get.

“We played well, we played like were capable [of],” Hart said. “We passed the ball, we moved the ball, we ran the floor.

“We’re just going to have to play that way without [Gerace].”

Gerace and Chase Ackerman each scored 14 points.

Williams led the Red Dragons with 23 points. Kane-Johnson scored 15 and Faison eight.

The Quakers will open the tournament at home against Lakeview on Tuesday. The winner will play at Struthers.