CUYAHOGA HEIGHTS–Wickliffe dominated Northeast Ohio College Prep 68-31, while Independence used big second and third-quarter runs to knock off Cuyahoga Heights 54-40 on day one of the Joe LaBella Tournament at Cuyahoga Heights on Friday.
Wickliffe took a solid 24-5 lead in the first quarter and never wavered in its 37-point win.
“We started off really strong,” said Wickliffe head coach Marc Lewis. “We got a lot of contributions from all five guys on the court. Walt (Cable) took over, being himself, taking what was given to him, and he did a good job.”
Cable got his night off to a marvelous start with an 11-point first quarter and Nunzio Zivnoska got in on the action with six points as well.
A Jimmy Wheeler 3-pointer plus seven more Cable points helped the Blue Devils extend their lead to 39-21 at halftime.
Cable exploded in the third quarter with 17 points on three 3-pointers, leading to a dominating Wickliffe win.
Coach Lewis raves about Cable and his abilities.
“Everyone wants at least one person (like Walt),” Lewis said of his senior guard. “When we’re in a pinch, he comes through. I appreciate that from him.”
Zivnoska and Wheeler also finished in double figures.
“The good thing about it is that our last game, Walt didn’t have that great of a game, but our other players jumped in,” Lewis said. “This is where we like to have a well-rounded team; you have to have other people to rely on.”
Wickliffe will face a much taller task on Saturday in the Joe LaBella Tournament championship game against Independence.
“Tomorrow is going to be a tough one, especially on a back-to-back,” Lewis said of what’s on the horizon. “We have to keep the energy and enthusiasm as we’re playing. The game is going to be a different pace tomorrow, and both (Indy and Heights) counter our style very well. We know what they do; we’re very familiar with each other. It’ll be a chess match.”
Cable led all scorers with 34 points on 12-of-19 shooting with five rebounds and steals. Zivnoska pitched in with 10 points and five boards, while Wheeler added 12 more.
Independence outscored Cuyahoga Heights, 28-20, in the second and third quarters before pulling away in the fourth quarter to win the semifinal.
“It started on the defensive end for us,” said Independence head coach Marc Holliday. “We played hard, picked up the energy on that side, and got going offensively.”
A physical first quarter came to a close with the Blue Devils narrowly on top 9-8, with all nine coming from Sam Crooks. Brody Boyert scored six of the Red Wolves’ eight.
Noah Terrano got going for Independence in the second with a pair of 3-pointers, and Rocco Ressler pitched in with four points in the paint. A Matty Jirmasek 3-pointer helped the Blue Devils take a 24-17 lead into the locker room.
Crooks caught fire in the third.
He buried back-to-back 3-pointers in a big momentum swing, pushing the Blue Devils lead to 37-28 after three.
“Sam picked his spots,” Holliday said of Crooks. “He’s a four-year varsity player for us. He can find his rhythm, and he did that tonight.”
Terrano helped close the deal with another 3-pointer to go along with his seven fourth-quarter points, and Crooks added five more to cap off a thrilling, gritty, physical Independence win.
With the win, a new challenge awaits with Walter Cable and Wickliffe in the finals.
We’ve played teams similar to them,” Holliday said. “Like Devin Hardwick with Brooklyn or Riley Cervenka at Padua. When you’re hot, you’re hot. We know what (Cable) brings, and coach Lewis does a great job. He’s got a great pedigree; we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
Crooks led the way for Independence with 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting, Terrano pitched in with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting with three 3-pointers, and Ressler added eight points and eight rebounds on a perfect shooting night of 2-of-2 from the field and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe.
Cuyahoga Heights will play Northeast Ohio College Prep to cap off its Joe LaBella tournament.
Some second and third-quarter woes proved costly for the Red Wolves.
“Credit to them, they shot the ball well,” said Cuyahoga Heights head coach Michael Tartara. “We had some spurts where we traded baskets, and you have to give them a lot of credit for hitting a lot of big shots at key points.”
Coach LaBella, the late grandfather of Matty Jirmasek and Independence alum Joey Jirmasek, hired coach Tartara 19 years ago as the head coach of the Cuyahoga Heights boys’ basketball coach.
“There are two things that mean the world to me in a basketball aspect,” Tartara said. “Being named captain by coach Jim Burson at Muskingum College, and the fact Joe LaBella hired me for this job 19 years ago. To be able to say that is very humbling with his pedigree. His selflessness and caring for his family and community were second to none. It means a lot to me.”
McClardy led the Red Wolves with 12 points, and Kyle Tomco pitched in with three 3-pointers.
Wickliffe and Independence will meet in the finals, while NEO Prep will play Cuyahoga Heights for third place on day two of the Joe LaBella tournament.
