The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Elyria elated with signature road win
Elyria used a hot start to earn a quality win on the road Dec. 11 when the Pioneers traveled to Midview and beat the host Middies, 64-50, to improve to 3-1 on the young season.
MarSaun Robinson scored Elyria’s first 10 points of the game and finished the first quarter with 15 on perfect 6-of-6 shooting from the field. The sophomore made his first seven shots of the game, including four 3-pointers, and after a 9-0 run to start the second quarter, the Pioneers were in business.
Elyria held Midview (2-1) to a mere six points in the second quarter and led by as many as 20 early in the third despite its offense cooling off a bit after the break.
“MarSaun really got us going that first quarter,” Elyria coach Brett Larrick said. “I tell you what: The start was really the key.
“It’s a Tuesday night game, you’re getting ready for Christmas break, you’re on the road. You watch the guys go through the motions early in the day, so we told them we had to come out early and set a tone, set a pace.”
Robinson finished with a game-high 22 points but was held without a field goal in the second half.
No problem for the Pioneers, who found other ways to get to the basket as Caleb Rogers added 12 points, Josiah Grantham 10 and Tyren Lee and William Waddell seven apiece.
“Us being smaller, we can’t shoot over the trees in there, so our gameplan is to get down the floor before they even think to set up their defense,” Robinson said. Waddell agreed.
The 6-foot-2 senior was tasked with guarding Midview big man Jonny Manning (6-foot-6) and made him work hard for every one of his 12 points.
“I needed to get very physical with (Manning), so the goal tonight was to make sure we came back Midview’s Isiah Johnson puts up a shot in between Elyria’s Aiden Carter, left, and Josiah Grantham during the second quarter on Dec. 11.
home 1-0 to start the week off,” Waddell said.
“(Manning) had 12 points, and that was a tough-earned 12,” Larrick
added. “I thought all of our guys did a really good job battling in there.”
Where Elyria punished the Middies most, however, was on the glass.
The Pioneers outrebounded their opponent, 40-23, including 15 offensive boards, and challenged Midview under the basket all game. And unfortunately for Midview, once it dug itself into a hole, there was no climbing out as Elyria continued to push the tempo.
“(Elyria), they try to pick you up and get you playing fast,” Midview coach Jim Brabenec said. “Actually I thought we did a really good job breaking their press
“Actually I thought we did a really good job breaking their press and then once we broke their press, that’s when we started to turn it over. It was not what we expected. We were hoping to get them in a half-court game … then we’d throw an errant pass, throw it in the third row of the bleachers and just didn’t run an offense.”
Midview coach Jim Brabenec
and then once we broke their press, that’s when we started to turn it over. It was not what we expected. We were hoping to get them in a half-court game … then we’d throw an errant pass, throw it in the third row of the bleachers and just didn’t run an offense.
“There’s not much margin for error against a good team like them.”
Nyco Vidal led the Middies with 13 points and Isiah Johnson and Dane Reichard each added 10.