The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Rockets take lessons from SPIRE matchup
When Bay signed up for the Vermilion Tip Off Classic months ago, the Rockets weren’t expecting to face a team with NBA-caliber talent, but they were the latest tasked with trying to slow down LaMelo Ball and SPIRE Institute Nov. 30 in the tournament’s opening round.
Ball lived up to expectations, leading SPIRE with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists, to beat Bay, 113-67, but Rockets head coach Jared Shetzer said if he had the choice to do it all over, he’d take on SPIRE again, saying the lessons learned are far more valuable than what
showed on the scoreboard.
“I think you get these opportunities in life and if you let them go you’re always kind of wondering what would’ve happened if you had done it,” Shetzer said. “I would rather go to battle with my guys against anybody, anywhere, anytime and let them experience life. Not many schools are gonna get this opportunity. Our kids handled themselves well and if I were to do it over again, we would do it again.”
Shetzer was realistic after the game, noting the game against SPIRE wasn’t one he
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and the team thought it could necessarily win, but felt there was much to take away from the loss.
Senior Erik Painter, a 2018-19 Morning Journal Player to Watch, ran the offense relatively well considering the sheer size and talent discrepancy he and his teammates faced. Painter often faced off with Ball at the point and, despite a handful of uncharacteristic misses, moved the ball effectively and found the open lanes.
He finished with 20 points and five rebounds.
“I think Erik showed he can play Division I, Division II basketball,” Shetzer said. “He showed that, because all those guys over there (at SPIRE) are D-I. We essentially played a college team tonight and we hung in there regardless of what the final score was.”
Jack Maxwell led all
scorers with 28 points, including eight 3-pointers, and had nine rebounds for Bay (0-1). Christian Dupps chipped in 10 points and five boards.
Seven SPIRE players reached double-digits, including Ball. Mark “Rocket” Watts scored 16 points, Myron Gardner added 14, Isaiah Jackson and Terry Lockett had 12 apiece, and Peter Filipovity and Isaac Mushila each chipped in 10.
Bay will face Oberlin in the tournament’s consolation game Dec. 1 at Vermilion while SPIRE advances to face the host Sailors in the championship.
“We have lessons to learn,” Shetzer said. “We have things we need to get better at.
“We’re not going over there thinking we’re gonna beat them, but we want to concentrate on Bay, concentrate on ourselves and get better. We got exponentially better tonight at basketball by playing that team.”