Boardman wins 14th straight in rout of Canfield

February 16, 2019 at 12:06a.m.

BOARDMAN

It was only fitting that two Boardman seniors’ stars shone bright on Senior Night.

Daeone Martin scored 12 points and Che Trevena 10 to back junior Derrick Anderson’s game-high 16 and lead Boardman to a 63-41 victory over the Canfield Cardinals in the All-American Conference Red Tier.

Boardman (18-3, 9-0 AAC Red) has won 14 consecutive games and hasn’t lost since Dec. 22 and have beaten all but one opponent by double figures during the streak.

The Spartans’ average margin of victory is an impressive 22.8 points.

“The key for us has been our defense. Everyone flies around when they are in the game and if you don’t, then you find yourself on the bench,” said Trevena, one of four seniors honored during pre-game ceremonies. “This team has the most chemistry of the four years that I have played.

“We can always get better, especially with our ball movement. Also, as we head to the tournament we must make better passes at the right time and stay consistent at both ends of the court. I love these guys because they are a very special, unselfish group.”

The Spartans asserted themselves early defensively, racing to a 16-2 lead after the opening period behind six points from Anderson and two buckets from beyond the arc from sharpshooter Tommy Fryda.

Martin’s five points in the second period helped Boardman extend its lead to 36-16 at the break. The 16 points are a season low for the Cardinals (11-10, 6-4) in the first half.

“Their defense is good, but it’s not just their defense. They’re good at everything,” Canfield head coach Todd Muckleroy said. “Derrick complements Che and they play off each other really well. They are a tough one-two punch to try to take away.

“We had some shots that didn’t fall in the opening period, so it might have been a closer game heading to the second quarter. When you miss too many shots and come up with empty possessions, they’ll burn you because they are that good.”

Cam Kreps scored five of his seven points in the third frame which allowed Boardman to open a 52-28 advantage. Spartans head coach Pat Birch refers to Kreps as his “senior coach on the floor.”

“It doesn’t matter who we have on the court, we are going to give you a lot of energy,” Kreps said. “We’re playing great right now as we head into tournament play. We didn’t exactly play a good second half so that’s a concern moving forward. We need to be consistent for 32 minutes and must bring our ‘A’ game all the time. Our energy on defense has been the key to our success.”

“These guys came together in the summer,” Birch said. “Cam is our heart and an extension of the coaches on the floor. At the half, I found a few things that I thought we could have done better.

“We didn’t shoot free throws particularly well in the first half, but our challenge to the guys all year has been to get a little bit better each day. When that happens, then we’ll hit our stride and be ready come tournament time.”

Conor Crogan led Canfield with 10 points.

With the win, Boardman swept the season series with the Cardinals and improved to 9-1 at home.