The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Titans’ loss like smack in face
Lake Erie League title leaves Lorain for first time in three seasons; Cleveland Heights uses physicality to hand Titans third loss in a row
The Lake Erie League title will leave Lorain for the first time in three seasons after the Titans suffered their third loss in as many games, losing to Cleveland Heights, 65-55, Feb. 9 to give the Tigers the conference championship.
It’s the first time since the 201314 season Lorain (13-5, 7-3 LEL) has lost three games in a row and coach John Rositano and his staff are left searching for answers with four games left in the regular season.
“We knew this year we had a lot of guys who hadn’t played varsity basketball before, and we’re in a rough patch,” Rositano said. “We just have to keep working, keep getting better. It’s a long season, it’s a grind and we just got to keep pushing forward and get back on the winning track.”
Lorain fell into an 11-point hole early in the first quarter, but the Titans finally settled in on defense and took a 29-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.
But Cleveland Heights (13-6, 10-0 LEL) opened the second half with a 7-0 run and the Titans were never able to recapture the lead.
The Tigers’ physicality around the basket also played a huge role in the end. Cleveland Heights outrebounded Lorain, 13-9, in the second half, including seven offensive boards as the Titans struggled giving up two, sometimes three, shots a possession.
“Quite honestly, especially in the second half, they just started manhandling us around the basket,” Rositano said. “We got beat a couple times off dribble penetration and then what killed us is those second, third shots. They started playing volleyball there, especially in the fourth quarter and they’re big, strong, physical and we just didn’t match that in the second half as well as we did in the first half.”
Devon Grant led all scorers with 22 points for Lorain. Taevon Pierre-Louis added 12 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks and Levell Hall had nine points and five rebounds.
Cleveland Heights had three players in double figures, including Tyreke Smith with 20 points, Javon Roberts with 16 and the Tigers’ all-time leading scorer, Yahel Hill, with 13.
“I thought we played a pretty good game but again when a team is a veteran team with a lot of physicality, you have to be able to somehow match that and we just didn’t,” Rositano said.
“We’ve lost to some good teams. But we’ll bounce back. We’ve got good kids, they get it and we’ll come back Tuesday.”
Lorain travels to Elyria Catholic on Feb. 13 for a nonconference matchup.