The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Lancers seize control
Gilmour led Chagrin Falls by four points when the fourth quarter started inside the Tigers’ gym Feb. 11. Not long after, the Lancers departed as 20-point winners.
Connor O’Toole scored 19 points, Ben DeMell added 17 and Gilmour held Chagrin Falls to six points in the fourth quarter of a 69-49 road victory.
“Coach stressed the whole week we need to bring the intensity to them,” DeMell said. “I thought that’s what we did — we came out and brought it to them. Even though we had a little slow start scoring, we came back in the second quarter and were able to limit their runs.”
The Lancers improved to 12-7 as games against University, South and Warren JFK remain. Gilmour was voted the No. 4 seed at the Division II Stow District, where Chagrin Falls is the sixth seed.
A pair of layups from Xavier Perez helped the Tigers open an early 15-10 lead. Max Snyder and Ryan Mueller knocked down 3-pointers to give the Lancers their first lead, 16-15, headed into the second quarter.
Gilmour elevated its tempo and went ahead, 29-19, following layups by Andre Rodgers and DeMell in transition. Cam Owen halted the Lancers’ momentum and helped Chagrin Falls pull back within four, 32-28, by halftime.
The Tigers cut their deficit to one, 44-43, late in the third when Tate Yonker hit his second 3-pointer. Freshman Brandon Rose countered with a triple that kept Gilmour’s lead at four, 47-43, at the end of the quarter.
Following DeMell’s layup, Rose drove baseline and finished a reverse layup. When DeMell sailed an outlet pass to Rose in transition, he added an and-one layup that gave the Lancers a double-digit lead, 54-43.
Coach Dan DeCrane said Rose supplied a necessary spark after Chagrin Falls threatened Gilmour’s control of the game.
“He can do things other guys can’t do,” DeCrane said. “It was one of those situations midseason where he was playing some JV and varsity and we’re like, ‘You know what? Let’s just treat him like a varsity player.’ He might act like one. He’s going to have his lumps. We’re going to try to figure it out with him on the floor.”
DeCrane was able to empty his bench late in the fourth while DeMell shot a pair of late free throws. The junior big man was fouled on a layup attempt created when O’Toole threaded a bounce pass between a defender’s legs.
The Lancers treated the nonconference matchup as the type of game they expect to play when the state tournament begins.
“It definitely helps us a lot,” O’Toole said. “It boosts our confidence, obviously they’re in our district. They’re a good team. They play really well together, have a lot of good wins, a really good record. It’s a good boost going into the end of the season and tournament play.”
Chagrin Falls, champion of the Chagrin Valley Conference’s Chagrin Division, fell to 14-6. The Tigers close the season at home against NDCL on Feb. 18 and University on Feb. 21.
Owen scored 19 points and Perez chipped in 13. Chagrin Falls’ offense that typically features seven or eight different scorers only had four players score for the Tigers against Gilmour.
Coach Dave Bargar thought his team played a little hesitant offensively, and when Chagrin Falls missed some easy shots in the fourth quarter, the Lancers’ lead quickly snowballed.
Bargar liked the opportunity to play a unique opponent and prepare for a game similar to the way the Tigers will in March.
“That gives you some benefit going into the tournament,” Bargar said. “I’d say it was certainly a great test for the tournament, playing a team like this going into it. We were just disappointed we weren’t consistent enough for four quarters.”