Sulka’s 41 keys Chardon win

Chardon senior forward Alex Sulka and his teammates played with grit and purpose Jan. 26 in a 96-82 victory over visiting South.

Sulka finished with a gamehigh 41 points as the Hilltoppers turned the tables on the Rebels after a loss earlier this season.

“It was a dogfight at their place and they got us. Tonight, we were ready to go,” Sulka said, smiling.

With the leading scorer in The News-Herald coverage area setting the pace, the Hilltoppers improved to 10-4 overall and 4-4 in the Western Reserve Conference.

South slipped to 7-6 overall and 4-3 in the WRC.

The type of night it would be for 6-foot-1 wing was evident from the start as he scored 11 of his team’s first 13 points.

He had 21 in the first half as the Hilltoppers took a 4233 lead into the locker room at halftime.

“On nights like this, Alex is an absolute animal,” Chardon coach Chad Murawski said. “Once he’s rolling, it’s almost impossible to stop him.”

As formidable as Sulka was, Chardon’s impressive win was not a one-man show.

Senior guard Mike Laudato finished with 22 points. Junior guard Ben Sulka, Alex’s younger brother, added 15 points in his first appearance of the season. He suffered an ankle injury on the first day of practice and finally was cleared to play against South.

Laudato and Ben Sulka put on a show in the third quarter.

After the Rebels narrowed the gap to 44-41 with an 8-0 run, the Hilltoppers went on a 26-11 tear fueled by four 3-pointers by Laudato and two 3-pointers by the younger Sulka.

“It’s unbelievable when we get that kind of support from everybody on the floor,” Alex Sulka said.

The Rebels got 33 points from senior guard Norman Hughes, 23 coming in a second-half effort that saw him match Alex Sulka shot-for-impressive shot.

Junior guard Xavier Hopps added 15 points for the Rebels.

South coach Doug Barber said Alex Sulk’s individual brilliance was the difference in the game

“Their guy obviously played really well and dominated at both ends of the floor,” Barber said.

Murawski also praised his team for its defensive effort against the high-flying Rebels.

“When you play hard on defense, that translates to open shots on the other end of the floor,” Murawski said. “Tonight, we had those good looks and knocked them down.”