Cleveland, Ohio - Derek Sloan scores a game-high 23 points, including 14 in the first half, as the Wildcats use a late second quarter surge and a dominant third quarter en route to wearing down John Adams in Quicken Loans Arena late Wednesday afternoon.
The area's top-ranked team improves to 17-3 and extends its winning streak to eight games heading into Friday night's match up with Glenville in Sullivan Gym.
Coach Larry Arthur's junior varsity Wildcats are too deep and too talented for the JV Rebels, as they improve to 16-3 with a 75-26 triumph.
HERE IS THE FULL VARSITY GAME STORY, WHICH IS FOLLOWED BY THE JV RECAP.
A year ago, Saint Ignatius’ gifted post/forward Derek Sloan, wearing a wide grin, walked off the floor in Quicken Loans Arena after scoring 21 points and helping his team to a 26-point victory over John Adams.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Derek was all smiles again as the 6-foot-5 senior captain finished his day with 23 points and the Wildcats came away with a 75-53 triumph over John Adams at The Q.
Simply put, if the Rebels never see Sloan again, it will be too soon.
“It’s a great place to play, an NBA arena, so you take advantage of the opportunity and have fun doing it,” Sloan said moments after he helped Saint Ignatius improve to 17-3 and win its eighth consecutive game.
The Wildcats are the No. 1-ranked team in The Plain Dealer’s Top 25 seven-county basketball poll and finished seventh in the final Associated Press Division I state poll.
“We had a big size advantage on them, so that’s where we scored most of our points, at the rim and down low in the paint,” said Sloan, who is being honored by The Plain Dealer as one of its Players of the Week for
his efforts in last week’s victories over Cleveland Heights and Villa Angela-St. Joseph.
“But we have to rebound the ball better,” Derek continued. “We didn’t box out today and didn’t do a good job of going after the ball. We did get a lot of shots at the rim offensively and that’s what we have to keep
doing.”
No one got to the rim more often than Sloan, as Derek scored 14 points in the first 16 minutes.
After John Adams (13-7) took a 13-12 lead on a quick jumper and a baseline 3-pointer by forward Terrance Jones, the Wildcats responded with a late first quarter-second quarter 16-2 run.
It was a take control sequence that featured a lay up in transition by senior forward Austin Sterpka off an assist from standout senior guard Francisco Santiago, a 3-pointer by Santiago, a strong-willed three-point
play by gritty senior point guard Bryan Fisher, a jumper from the top of the key by promising 6-6 sophomore forward Jaylin McDonald, an authoritative post-up move by Sloan, a driving one-hander down the lane by Sloan and a smooth scooping one-hander along the baseline by Sloan.
After a crowd-pleasing display of passing from junior guard Kyle Berger and Santiago that resulted in a transition basket for 6-5 junior forward David Black, Saint Ignatius continued to display its superior depth and size.
Berger, a first-team AP All-Ohio linebacker in football, scored on a power drive along the baseline, McDonald converted a Berger assist into a quick two points and after Sloan attacked the rim for another basket and
buried a jumper, Coach Sean O’Toole’s ‘Cats were holding an 18-point lead late in the first half. Berger finished with 12 points, eight in the second half.
John Adams was able to sandwich 3-pointers by multi-skilled forward Devon Robinson and guard Archie Patrick around a put back by 6-6 junior post Eric Black, David’s twin brother, and cut the deficit to 14 points by halftime.
The Rebels seemed to have their offense on track early in the second half, but the problem was that the team from the Senate Athletic League was trading baskets with Saint Ignatius.
And in a methodical manner, the Wildcats eventually took their toll.
After a steal and a thundering one-handed slam by Sloan, another strong, but under control move by Berger, a follow by David Black, a driving one-hander by Santiago and a pull-up jumper by “Cisco,” Saint Ignatius took a 62-39 lead into the final eight minutes.
The Wildcats, the top seed at next week’s demanding Solon Division I sectional/district, left no doubt on a post-up three-point play by Sloan, a steal and a lay up by heady junior point guard Danny Bova and a basket
by Berger off another on-the-money dish from Santiago.
With Coach O’Toole going deep into his bench throughout the second half, Saint Ignatius added some topping to the victory cake with a smooth gliding move to the basket by junior forward Isiah Barbra and a lay up by 6-7 junior post Jake Strippy off a picture-perfect assist from junior guard Jimmy Abraham.
Jones and Robinson led the Rebels with 15 and 13 points, respectively.
“John Adams attacked us hard and stayed in that game,” said Coach O’Toole ’87. “I think in the end our numbers were just a little too much. They were worn down. Obviously we had a size advantage, but we did
not rebound the basketball. We have to rebound better, especially playing at Solon (the sectional/district).
“They sagged off Derek a lot,” Coach O’Toole continued. “Derek is a big-time athlete and I think the question was do I shoot or do I attack? And in an environment like this, attack!”
Junior Varsity Game
Saint Ignatius 75, John Adams 26: After a three-point play by sophomore post Mikal Outcalt, two free throws by freshman guard Deven Stover and a lay up by point guard Joel Martinez off a quick-reaction tip assist from Outcalt, the Wildcats led, 24-5, in the second quarter. And things only got a lot tougher for the JV
Rebels.
Two free throws by sophomore guard John Kirincic, a steal and a lay up by sophomore guard/forward Liam Coyne and a put back by strong and gifted sophomore forward Dre’Mont Jones had the ‘Cats purring at 30-5.
A driving one-hander down the lane by sophomore guard Sam Fuller, a 3-pointer and a breakaway lay up by Kirincic, and a 3-pointer by gritty sophomore guard Luke Russell pushed the margin to 40-14. Following a 3-pointer along the baseline by sophomore post/forward Colin Sweeney and a buzzer-beating basket by
Sweeney, the Wildcats were up 45-14 at halftime.
It was more of the same in the third quarter.
After another authoritative move down low by Jones, a lay up by Jones off an as-it’s-drawn-up in bounds pass from sophomore point guard Zach Johnson, a smooth driving one-hander down the lane by sophomore forward Matt Roggenburk, a free throw by Jones, a steal and a lay up by Fuller and a 3-pointer by Coyne, Saint Ignatius took a 60-19 lead into the final seven minutes.
Some of the finishing touches for the 16-3 ‘Cats included a tip in by freshman forward/post Tim Kiefer and six more points from Russell – a 3-pointer and a hard-nosed three-point play off a baseline drive.
Jones led the ‘Cats’ balanced scoring with 10 points and Kirincic and Russell had nine-point efforts. Saint Ignatius finished with 21 2-point baskets, 7 3-pointers and was 12-of-20 from the foul line.
John Adams (9-12), which got 10 points from Antonio Williams and 8 points from Xavier Bell, had 8 2-pointers, 2 3-pointers and was 4-of-6 from the charity stripe.