Solon, Ohio - It was, as Saint Ignatius' Hall of Fame Head Coach Brian Becker '77 said, a Jekyll and Hyde week for his Varsity Basketball Wildcats.
After a 10-point loss at home on Tuesday night to small-school power Cornerstone Christian and an outstanding performance in a 10-point victory over previously undefeated Cleveland Heights on Thursday night in the Tigers' new gymnasium, the Wildcats traveled to Solon on Saturday evening to face one of the highest scoring teams in the entire state.
By halftime, it was evident that the now 5-0 Solon Comets are more than worthy of their third-place area ranking.
Simply put, senior Sincere Carry and juniors Mike Bekelja and Trent Williams, along with their very capable supporting cast, are the real deal my friends.
Running the floor like their lives depended on it, dishing out crisp and on-the-money assists with their unselfish approach on offense and playing a passionate, quick-handed and endless-hustle defense, the Comets soared to a 20-point lead by halftime and went on to defeat visiting 12th-ranked Saint Ignatius, 72-54, in Saturday night's area basketball headliner.
Under the direction of former Wildcat Tony DeCesare, who played for Coach Becker in the late 1990s, Solon entered this weekend having scored more than 90 points in each of its first three victories and tossed in 89 points on Friday night in a 12-point triumph at Euclid.
So I guess you might say that "limiting" the Comets to 72 points and eight 3-pointers in 32 minutes was an accomplishment. Solon entered the weekend averaging more than 15 3-pointers a game.
The problem for Saint Ignatius on Saturday night is that the Comets make up for what they lack in overall size with an exceptional appreciation and execution of all facets of the game. Solon's success comes from both ends of the floor, baseline to baseline desire.
"Our defense was not where it needed to be tonight," said Coach Becker after the Comets beat the 'Cats in transition and on drives to the basket. "We made the same number of 3-balls as they did, we both had eight, but they scored at the rim."
Coach Becker emphatically referred to Solon's ability to drive to the basket and create points off turnovers with repetitive success as huge difference makers.
Solon, behind its gifted threesome of Carry, Bekelja and Williams, who each stand about 6-foot, took an eight-point lead into the second quarter.
A 3-pointer by Wildcats versatile senior guard Neeko Melendez made it a five-point game and Saint Ignatius trailed by four points after ever-present senior post/forward Luke Wiskes converted a Melendez assist into a three-point play with 6 minutes and 50 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
With the above-mentioned threesome of Carry, Bekelja and Williams keeping their composure and getting plenty of support from their "big men" - 6-foot-3 junior David Marbury and 6-4 junior Nick Close - along with 6-1 senior guard Ryan Bergen and 6-0 junior guard Brandon Brown, the Comets outscored Saint Ignatius, 23-7, over the final six minutes of the first half.
Carry showed the Wildcats' faithful what a superb point guard he is by unleashing his highlight-reel assists, forcing turnovers and driving to the rim with either hand for key baskets.
A young man who scored 38 points in Solon's 10-point loss to Saint Ignatius at Father Sullivan Gymnasium last season,Carry finished with a game-high 20 points, including 14 in the first half. Bekelja, who like Carry hurt the 'Cats time and again with authoritative dribble drives to the basket that he capped with one-handers high off the glass, totaled 19 points that included two 3-pointers. Williams added 14 points and two 3-pointers, and, like Carry, seemed to be in the middle of every forced turnover.
After a Bergen 3-pointer kept Solon in front by 20 points early in the third quarter, Saint Ignatius closed the gap to 15 points on a tip-in by 6-9 junior post Kevin Davet and another 3-pointer Melendez. The Comets picked up the pace again, however, and built a 24-point lead in the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats, behind some strong work down low by junior forward/post Lorez Valenzuela, made it an 18-point final deficit.
The Comets scored several points off 17 Wildcats turnovers and shot 47 percent from the field. Saint Ignatius, which outrebounded Solon, 36-32, shot 38 percent from the floor.
Promising sophomore point guard Tevin Jackson led Saint Ignatius with 12 points, including two 3-pointers.
"Our angles on defense weren't good, they had 44 points in the paint," said Coach Becker, who will lead his 3-2 Wildcats against the currently 3-1 Canton McKinley Bulldogs on Saturday, December 23rd, at 7 PM in Father Sullivan Gymnasium. "That means our on-ball defense and help defense weren't great. We'll go back to the drawing board and work on that, but again, we have to start getting consistent scoring."
Just FYI, this corner will preview the matchup with Canton McKinley at the mid point of this coming week.
THE JV 'CATS REMAIN UNDEFEATED
Behind their savvy coaches Chris Salata '94, Brian McLaughlin '94, Bryan Fisher '13 and Andrew Salata '01, Saint Ignatius' deep and skilled Junior Varsity Wildcats wore down Solon's Jayvees, 74-41, in a matchup that preceded the Varsity Game.
Now 5-0 on the young season, the JV 'Cats were led by double-digit nights from red-hot sophomore post Michael McNamara, who scored 18 points off nine baskets, the always present sophomore guard/forward Griffin Hanna, who scored 14 points, including three 3-pointers, and endless-hustling sophomore forward Erik Daugenti, who combined another strong effort on defense with 11 points. Daugenti also sent home three 3-pointers. Hanna capped his night by contributing a 3-pointer in the Varsity game.
The JV 'Cats will now tune up for Saturday evening's (December 23rd) 5:30 encounter with the Junior Varsity Bulldogs from Canton McKinley.