The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Mentor now 15-1
Luke Floriea and Luke Chicone deservedly receive significant attention for the superb guard play they provide Mentor, but the standout duo isn’t the only matchup advantage the Cardinals possess.
Closer to the basket, Chad Rogers and Mason Trubisky are a pair of versatile bigs who create additional problems for opponents. Rogers, 6-foot-5, and Trubisky, 6-foot-4, are strong enough to punish smaller frontcourts and quick enough to vex larger counterparts.
Brunswick’s tallest rotation player is listed at 6-foot-2 and, Feb. 8 against the visiting Blue Devils, Rogers and Trubisky sparked Mentor’s rally to overcome a double-digit second-half deficit.
Rogers scored a career-high 29 points and Trubisky added 11 in the Cardinals’ 72-67 victory. Tempo plodded in the first 21/2
quarters before Mentor’s interior tandem ignited its offense.
“I definitely felt like I had an advantage over most of them because I was a lot bigger, a lot stronger,” Rogers said. “I was able to get open a lot and Luke (Floriea) was able to get me the ball.”
Floriea added 13 points and Alex Edwards chipped in 11. Mentor improved to 15-1 and is 10-1 in the Greater Cleveland Conference. The Cardinals hold a two-game lead over Euclid and Shaker Heights, tied for second at 8-3 in GCC play, with three conference games remaining.
Brunswick played at its preferred, deliberate tempo in the first half. Rogers scored Mentor’s first six points before Floriea’s 3-pointer gave the Cardinals their first lead, 9-7. Brunswick closed the quarter with a 10-0 run to take a 17-9 lead. The Blue Devils stretched their lead to 11 early in the second quarter and Mentor closed within seven, 31-24, by half.
The Cardinals proceeded to surpass their first-half offensive output with a 25-point third quarter. After, Brunswick opened a 42-30 lead Mentor sliced its deficit to one, 50-49, headed to the fourth quarter. Rogers opened the fourth quarter with an and-one layup and the Cardinals never relinquished the lead.
Rogers and Trubisky scored 27 of Mentor’s 48 second-half points. The Cardinals’ pressure forced Brunswick to play faster and as Rogers and Trubisky scored inside, Mentor’s offense excelled.
“I think they’re very athletic,” Krizancic said. “I think if you’re big, they’re quicker, and I think if you’re smaller, they’re strong. I think that’s why we’re 15-1.”
Kyle Goessler led Brunswick with 29 points, Trevor Mackey added 13 and Tre Massey chipped in 12. Coach Joe Mackey cited the mismatch presented by Mentor’s post players and their simple, yet profound, impact on the Cardinals’ offense.
“They started making shots,” Mackey said. “I hate to say it, it sounds so elementary but basically, what happened, they shot the ball a lot better in the second half than they did the first. I think that had a lot to do with us, too.”
Mentor played its final game before the Cardinals will learn of their seeding at the Division I Euclid District when the brackets are released at 5 p.m. Feb. 10. Between Brush and Mentor, the lead candidates for the top line, Krizancic says it’s a toss-up for the No. 1 seed.
He points to the Cardinals’ 15-1 record playing in the GCC and a quality nonconference schedule as a reason for voters’ consideration.
Mentor’s players anticipate the postseason regardless of where the Cardinals are voted.
“It’s more about us,” Floriea said. “We’ll play whoever at the district and get seeded whatever, but it’s more about us. It’s not about Brush or Cleveland Heights or Solon, it’s just about Mentor.”