MADISON–Perry took down host Madison, 45-31, behind a 15-3 second-quarter run in a Chagrin Valley Conference crossover game on Saturday.
Neither offense had much success throughout the night, but the Pirates found a rhythm to close the half for a 12-point lead at the break, riding the momentum to a 14-point win.
“We got in the flow once at the end of the second quarter and started hitting some shots,” said Perry head coach Alan Iacofano. “You wouldn’t think that one stretch of basketball is the difference in a game, but it went a long way tonight.”
Both teams started the night slowly in the first quarter, but the Pirates took a 6-4 lead into the second quarter.
The two sides battled to a 10-10 tie, but then Perry got hot with two Josh Zentgraf 3-pointers along with his eight points from the quarter, four more from Vince Tomasic, plus a Caden Brewster corner 3-pointer that capped off a 25-13 halftime lead.
Madison’s Mac Steele found a groove in the third quarter, scoring five points.
Tomasic posted seven points in the final frame to close the deal, securing Perry’s sixth win of the year.
Both teams shot poorly, but the Pirates dug deep and won a rivalry game on the road.
“When you can find a way to win against a good team on the road when you don’t have the best night offensively, there’s value to that,” Iacofano said. “Over 22 games, there’s going to be several stretches where you don’t have your best stuff, and it’s good that we came out with the win on a night like tonight.”
Tomasic added: “It wasn’t a great night for either team. It was ugly, but we had to find a way to win. If we’re not making shots, it doesn’t matter. We have to get back and keep doing what we’re doing. Everyone’s going to have an off night, and when that happens, we have to find a way. It’s one of the most important things we can do.”
Perry held a significant rebounding advantage, including 11 big rebounds from Tomasic.
“Like any game, it’s important to limit teams to one possession, but especially in games like tonight where they were struggling,” Iacofano said. “In the last three minutes of the fourth (Madison) got an offensive rebound and found a wide-open shooter with us in scramble mode and made us pay. That’s not a good situation to be in. Sometimes, that one extra possession can change things.”
Tomasic led all scorers with 15 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double, and Zentgraf added in eight, with Derreon Malone pitching in with seven.
Madison fell to 6-3 with the loss behind some offensive woes.
“Both teams are very good defensively,” said Madison head coach Nick Gustin. “We both limit touches, and both sides are always prepared. It’s tough to get open looks. Perry’s well-coached and very disciplined, and they do a lot of good things. We’re the same way; tonight was like a prize fight. Whoever landed the right hook at the right time would win the game. Their run at the end of the half did us in.”
The Blue Streaks have a challenging task ahead with a conference game on the road at Jefferson.
“Anytime you go on the road, it’s tough, and Jefferson is a very skilled veteran team,” Gustin said. “We just have to get back to what we do well and start sharing the basketball. If we do that and make the correct plays, we have a good chance to succeed.”
Steele led Madison with 12 points, and Landon Tomco added five more.
Perry hits the road at Orange next week on January 9, and Madison visits Jefferson on January 7.
