From The Trueman Memorial Fieldhouse and Gymnasium on the campus of Benedictine High School.
Cleveland, Ohio - When you are a Hall of Fame Head Coach, you tell it like it is.
Saturday night, just moments after his area's eighth-ranked Basketball Wildcats were turned away by 13-ranked Benedictine, 77-68, in the Bengals' storied Trueman Memorial Fieldhouse, Saint Ignatius' highly successful Varsity Coach Brian Becker '77 did just that.
"I thought Benedictine was more aggressive than we were tonight and you tip your hat to them," said the man who has 347 career victories, including 333 at Saint Ignatius. "They came out and were aggressive on the 50-50 balls and it seemed like they got more second-chance opportunities.
"You lose games at different points of the game," Coach Becker continued. "Certainly the start we got off to put us in a hole right away. I thought we did a good job of battling back, but it's a learning experience for our guys. You have to be able to come into a good setting like this and beat a quality basketball team, and the Bengals are a quality team that is well coached."
Benedictine, now 13-4, was coming off an impressive victory over Revere in last weekend's annual Dunk4Diabetes Shootout at John Carroll University and two solid wins this week, including Friday night's triumph at state-ranked Lake Catholic (seventh in the latest Division II poll).
Saint Ignatius, which dominated John Marshall on Thursday night in Father Sullivan Gymnasium, stands 10-5 heading into its annual rivalry rematch with St. Edward on Friday night, February 9th at Coach Jim Connors Court in The Eagles' Nest. Saint Ignatius' schedule shows Friday's opening tip on Detroit Avenue in Lakewood to be 7:30 PM and preceded by a 6 PM Junior Varsity matchup. The Eagles came out victorious in their first Varsity meeting with the 'Cats this season, 74-62, in Sullivan Gymnasium.
The Bengals, under the direction of one of the area's top coaches, 1997 Benedictine graduate Rob Stircula, showed no signs of fatigue from Friday night's league rivalry victory at Lake Catholic.
After the Wildcats struck first on Saturday night off a basket by promising 6-foot-6, 220-pound junior post Nate Hubbard, the Bengals, behind their outstanding senior guard Chris Jefferson, ran off 14 unanswered points
Jefferson, who finished with a game-high 26 points, buried three of his four deep 3-pointers during that early run.
The 'Cats' offense would come alive thanks to a three-point play by standout senior forward Luke Wiskes, but a layup and a 3-pointer from lightning-quick Benedictine sophomore guard Jashun Cobb had the Bengals roaring at 19-5.
Saint Ignatius would respond with a pull-up jumper from gifted senior perimeter shooter Neeko Melendez, only to watch Cobb soar down the lane for a three-point play and a 22-7 Benedictine lead after the first eight minutes.
The Bengals, who play with an obvious swagger on their home floor, pushed their advantage to 27-8 off a 3-pointer by 6-5 senior post Mario Caywood and a 1-hander along the baseline by Jefferson.
Coach Becker's 'Cats would sandwich two Hubbard free throws and a basket from Wiskes around a Benedictine free throw. The team from Martin Luther King Jr. Drive answered with two free throws by sophomore guard Eric Buckner and, after Hubbard scored down low off a prime example of moving without the ball, Buckner sent home a jumper that gave the Bengals an 18-point lead.
Despite its rough start, Saint Ignatius, sparked by a 3-pointer by Melendez, a layup in transition from gritty senior forward Aymin Bahhur, a follow by Bahhur and a smooth driving 1-hander off the glass from multiskilled senior guard/forward Josh Ozanne, cut the deficit to 34-23 by halftime.
"I thought they made some threes at big times," said Coach Becker of Benedictine's 10 3-pointers on the night. "When we cut the score down, they answered with a big three. We battled back and, not making excuses, Neeko has just recently returned and we are without our starting center (tough and talented senior post Dom DiNunzio, who is ill). So we're trying to piece some things together and good basketball teams find a way to do that."
Saint Ignatius carried its late first half momentum into the early stages of the third quarter, as an authoritative driving 1-hander down the lane by Wiskes and a basket from Hubbard off an assist from senior guard Jon Barnes cut the deficit to 34-27 and capped a 13-2 run by Cleveland's Jesuit Preparatory School.
One of those "big threes" Coach Becker referred to came courtesy of the ever-present Jefferson, who slowed down the 'Cats' surge with a trey and two free throws.
Ozanne would make it a 10-point game and, after the Bengals' Buckner and Saint Ignatius' floor general, sophomore point guard Tevin Jackson, exchanged 3-pointers, Saint Ignatius was still facing a 10-point deficit.
Jackson closed the gap to eight points with a basket off Ozanne's assist, but Cobb's 3-pointer and a hustle basket from Caywood had Coach Stircula's team in front by 13 points. Again, one of those big 3-pointers.
The big-hearted team from Ohio City answered with Wiskes' two free throws and a 3-pointer from Luke, but Benedictine also showed its resolve by moving in front by 12 points courtesy of two free throws from Cobb and a driving 1-hander by senior forward Jerwon Thomas.
With an atmosphere that had the faithful from both sides rocking with enthusiasm, Hubbard made his presence felt again down low and Bahhur stepped up with a three-point play that sliced that 12-point deficit to seven points entering the final eight minutes.
Hubbard's relentless hard-nosed play helped keep the 'Cats in striking distance, but the early stages of the fourth and final quarter also featured, yes you guessed it, two more big-time treys from the Bengals' Buckner and Cobb.
A strong driving one-hander from Saint Ignatius' oh so promising sophomore guard Chase Toppin cut the deficit to seven points once again, but five free throws by Jefferson over the final 30.4 seconds offset a Melendez 3-pointer with 24 ticks left on the game clock.
Benedictine walked off their home floor with another victory that was secured minus the young man who was their leading scorer before he was injured a fews weeks ago, junior guard Davin Zeigler.
The Bengals' 77-68 triumph saw them hit on 19 of 28 free throws. Saint Ignatius was 11-of-13 from the Charity Stripe.
Along with Jefferson's game-best 26 points, Benedictine got a 22-point night from Cobb, a 13-point effort from Buckner and nine points courtesy of Caywood.
Hubbard, who is developing as a key figure for Coach Becker, especially with the sectional/district tournament just around the corner, led the Wildcats with 15 points. Wiskes finished with 14 points, Melendez totaled 11 points and Bahurr and Jackson each had eight points.
"Nate Hubbard was in their battling the whole game and I thought Tevin Jackson had a nice floor game," Coach Becker said. "But again, you tip your hat to a team like Benedictine. They made shots when they had to make shots and they made free throws when they had to make free throws."
THE JUNIOR VARSITY WILDCATS CONTINUE THEIR IMPRESSIVE RUN
FROM BENEDICTINE HIGH SCHOOL - Okay, by now you know that this corner has nothing but the highest regard for Saint Ignatius' Junior Varsity Basketball Program, its outstanding Coaching Staff and its savvy and skilled players.
That said, if there is a higher grade out there than A-plus, maybe A-plus, plus, I would give it to the young 'Cats this morning for the way they gutted out their 66-60 victory Saturday evening over the Benedictine Bengals' Jayvees in one of the more storied venues in area high school basketball - The Trueman Memorial Fieldhouse and Gymnasium.
A great, unique atmosphere and setting, most definitely. However, for those athletes who play on the Bengals' floor for the first time, or really any time for that matter, the fans right-on-top-of-you setting can be daunting. They can hear you breathe, from baseline to baseline.
That said, as this old gym rat has had the pleasure of observing this winter, the JV 'Cats just love to play, as long as there are two baskets and a floor.
For the JV 'Cats, home maybe where the heart is, but true success comes from making your yourself at home in any gymnasium that is going to appear on your schedule.
While they encountered a major challenge from the Bengals' underclassmen, the JV 'Cats walked away with their seventh consecutive victory and now stand 14-1 heading into another will-testing venue that I am sure all Saint Ignatius hoops fans are familiar with - St. Edward's Coach Jim Connors Court in The Eagles' Nest.
After winning the first of the annual two-game Junior Varsity series with their West Side rival, 59-52, in the Wildcats' tradition-rich Father Sullivan Gymnasium, the JV 'Cats will gear up for round two and prepare for another vocal, but basketball-rich atmosphere.
Ah, they love it. And so does this old gym rat.
While we wait for Friday's Junior Varsity game on Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, which according to Saint Ignatius' schedule begins at 6 PM, here are some highlights from No. 7 in a row and 14 out of 15.
FIRST QUARTER: The Wildcats jumped out to a 7-0 lead thanks to baskets from sophomore forward Erik Daugenti and sophomore guard Jack Whelan and a Daugenti 3-pointer. Behind some strong work by post Darius Moss and guard Daniel Nunez, Saint Ignatius led, 11-3.
At that point, the Bengals unleashed their offense and treated the fans in Columbia Blue and White to a 9-0 run. Timeout Saint Ignatius with one minute and four seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
The Bengals extended that run to an 18-11 lead before the versatile and loves to compete Daugenti buried a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that enabled the 'Cats to cut the deficit to 18-14 entering the second quarter.
SECOND QUARTER: Saint Ignatius would close to within a basket, but Benedictine went on a little 6-2 run.
The JV 'Cats closed to 27-24 with 3:46 to go in the first half, only to watch the Bengals claw their way to another strong response of seven unanswered points and a 10-point lead with 1:49 remaining before the halftime break. A 3-pointer from Saint Ignatius forward Nate Sommerfeld brought Saint Ignatius to within seven points entering halftime.
THIRD QUARTER: Yes, we've seen it before. The mature beyond their years Junior Varsity Wildcats came out for the third quarter and hit the Bengals with a layup from gifted forward Connor Cmiel and another layup by Cmiel off his steal.
The Bengals' faithful seemed a little uneasy after Daugenti dialed long distance again via a Cmiel steal and following a basket by Whelan, a steal by Daugenti and layup by post Michael McNamara off a Whelan assist, it was 42-41 in favor of the Blue and Gold.
On the strength of another clutch basket from Sommerfeld and a layup off a nice ball fake by always hustling forward/guard Rory McConville, the JV 'Cats took a three-point lead.
Behind the play of McConville, guard Sean Armen and McNamara, it was 48-44 Saint Ignatius entering the final seven minutes.
FOURTH QUARTER: The will-testing battle continued as Moss' strong move down low followed by his three-point play had the 'Cats holding a five point lead with 5:23 left to play.
After McNamara and Cmiel were money from the free-throw line in giving Saint Ignatius a six-point advantage, Benedictine, sparked by a 3-pointer from standout freshman guard BJ Busbee, would go on to cut the deficit to 59-58 with 2:09 to go.
Benedictine would close to 61-60 with 1:30 remaining, but the JV 'Cats were able to seal the deal at 66-60 behind the play of Nunez, Daugenti, Cmiel and Whelan.
The Bengals' Busbee would lead all scorers with 20 points and Benedictine's sophomore guard Jalen Edwards, another name to remember, finished with 15 points.
Saint Ignatius, which made 12 fourth-quarter free throws, had nine players reach the scoring column. Showing the way were Daugenti (13 points); Nunez (10 points); Cmiel (10 points, all in the second half); Moss (9 points); Whelan (8 points); McNamara (7 points) and Sommerfeld (5 points).
We will see you at St. Edward for Wednesday night's Freshman Doubleheader at 4:30 PM and 6 PM, and again on Coach Jim Connors Court Friday night for the highly anticipated Junior Varsity (6 PM) and Varsity Games (7:30 PM) versus the Eagles. One of the premier rivalries in the nation, my friends.
Have a great Super Bowl Sunday. I am pulling for the Eagles to do it so the pride of Cleveland Heights High School, Philadelphia's All-Pro center Jason Kelce (older brother to Chiefs' standout tight end and former Heights Tiger Travis Kelce) can finally get a ring for all of the great seasons he has put in.