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Boys Basketball: Metea Valley’s big run buries Bartlett
Updated: January 24, 2012 10:00PM
Bartlett made its first three shots, all from beyond the three-point arc, during Tuesday’s Upstate Eight Valley contest at Metea Valley.
But the Hawks didn’t make anything the rest of the quarter, while the Mustangs closed the first quarter with a 28-0 run and cruised to a 90-53 victory.
Milan Bojanic led a balanced scoring attack for the winners with 14 points. Lashawn Cargo added 13 points off the bench, and Ryan Solomon, Kenny Obendorf and Raysean Parker each contributed 12 points.
Metea Valley (18-1, 7-1) actually fell behind 9-3 after John Moss drained a three-pointer with 6:17 remaining in the first quarter.
Back-to-back three-pointers from Solomon and Bojanic pulled the Mustangs even at 9-all, and they were far from finished. When Tresean Mackey converted a layup off a turnover as time expired in the first quarter the Mustangs had erupted for a 31-9 lead.
“We’ve had games like that with one a couple weeks ago against St. Charles North where we had a huge first quarter,” Metea Valley coach Bob Vozza said. “We wanted to continue at that fast pace, stressing defense, and carry over that intensity for the rest of the game, and I felt we accomplished that tonight.”
Parker sank a pair of free throws to open the second quarter, but Metea Valley’s run of 30 consecutive points finally came to a close when Bartlett’s Jonathan Leigeber made two free throws at the 7:34 mark.
The Mustangs responded with a far more modest 8-0 run to pull ahead 41-11 while Bartlett converted its first field goal in more than eight minutes when Mitch Reid connected with 5:49 left in the first half.
“We practiced just like this yesterday. It was slow and lazy and no hands up on their shooters,” Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith said. “You could see bickering, finger pointing, yelling, lack of hustle, lack of effort. That’s not fun to coach and not fun to play.”
Metea Valley made 17 three-pointers and nine different players made at least one with Obendorf leading the way with four. The Mustangs made five during the 30-0 run.
“A lot of those threes tonight were in stuff we run in our sets,” Vozza said. “I can’t remember one where I thought it was a bad shot. Tonight happened to be a night they were all falling.”
Leading by as many as 41 points, Vozza was able to play all 16 players, 12 which entered the scoring column.
“We talked to the juniors and we hold them to a high standard,” he said. “We know how talented they are and can be as a group, and I thought they carried out and continue to get better.”
Bartlett (10-11, 2-5) received a game-high 24 points from Matt Chaltin and was only outscored 38-36 in the second half.
“You’re not going to win down 40 points to a team that good,” Wolfsmith said. “But you go out there and win the second half. I thought it was a good second half of basketball. It was a fun second half, because they gave effort and hustled.”
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