Three scored in double figures but it was Cardinal’s defensive effort that keyed a 73-50 win at Southington Chalker on Tuesday.
The Huskies pulled down 39 rebounds and recorded 23 steals in improving to 2-0 on the year.
“Our defense was the difference in tonight’s game,” Cardinal coach Jon Cummins said. “Crashing the boards and players getting into passing lanes to get deflections or steals led to easy baskets.”
Cardinal led just 16-12 after the first quarter but began to pull away with a 20-11 second quarter. The Huskies outscored the Wildcats in the third quarter, 21-13, and finished the game with a 16-14 advantage in the fourth.
Matt Carney led the Huskies with 17 points while Robbie Bruncak and Brice Hogue both finished with 15.
Carney also led the Huskies with 11 rebounds and Bruncak posted a team-high 12 steals and five assists.
“Matt and Robbie had double-doubles,” Cummins said. “Brice played a well-rounded game and attacked the basket all night.”
Carney also blocked four shots and electrified his teammates with a two-handed dunk.
“The dunk was just insane,” Carney said. “I knew I was going to go for it. I just didn’t want to miss or have the ball slip or something like that, so I just went about it gently and it just happened to work out. It was definitely one of the better feelings I’ve experienced and it just makes me want to go back tomorrow and practice even harder.”
Casey Horner added eight points in the win while Dan Heredos finished with six. Robbie Granny and Austin Miller both finished with four and Mike Rogers and Tyson Sinclair both scored two for the Huskies.
“The offense was just flowing nicely,” Carney said. “Everyone was going for a nice pass rather than a nice shot and it allowed us to get really good looks and easy buckets. It makes playing the game that much more fun.”
Cardinal opens Chagrin Valley Conference play at Cuyahoga Heights on Dec. 11.
