CUYAHOGA HEIGHTS–Independence outscored Wickliffe 25-7 in the second quarter on the way to a 69-57 victory in the 2024 Joe LaBella Tournament championship game at Cuyahoga Heights on Saturday.
The Blue Devils used an electric 19-4 second-quarter run to take a 41-20 lead into the locker room.
“The ball was moving,” said Independence head coach Marc Holliday. “We were playing off of Sam (Crooks) instead of watching Sam. When we do that, we’re a really tough team to stop, but it all started on the defensive end.”
Crooks opened his night needing just 13 points to reach the 1,000-point milestone. He scored 14 in the first quarter.
“It was great,” Crooks said. “I wouldn’t want to do it anywhere and with anybody else. I’ve been playing with these guys for nine years, and I couldn’t do it without Coach Holliday. He’s helped me grow as a player.”
Wickliffe used Demario Donner’s and Jake Beal’s 3-pointers to stay close, finishing the first frame down 16-13.
Independence got going in the second with eight more Crooks points, a pair of Noah Terrano 3-pointers, and seven more from Bobby Jackson to take a 21-point lead into halftime.
Wickliffe turned the tables on Independence in the third.
Walter Cable scored 10 points in the frame and Jimmy Wheeler added nine to cut Wickliffe’s deficit to 56-43 after three.
Independence closed out Wickliffe with seven points from Crooks, who went on to win the Joe LaBella Tournament MVP award.
One key to topping Wickliffe was keeping tabs on Cable throughout the game. He scored 34 points against NEO College Prep in the semifinals.
“Noah Terrano, Matty Jirmasek, and Bobby Jackson did a good job face-guarding him,” Holliday said of the gameplan for Cable. “He’s going to get his. He’s a tremendous player, but they did a heck of a job.”
Despite leading by 21 at the break, the Blue Devils allowed Wickliffe to cut its deficit to 56-46 early in the fourth quarter.
“When that happens, complacency steps in,” Holliday said of the lead slipping to 10 points. “(Walter) got a couple more looks in that scenario than when the game got tighter. We shored up our defense and returned to our scheme and what we were trying to accomplish.”
When it was all said and done, Independence was the Joe LaBella Tournament champion, and LaBella’s grandson, Matty Jirmasek, made the All-Joe LaBella Tournament team.
“It was a team effort,” Jirmasek said. “It’s an honor just to be here with my team.”
Coach Holliday added: “It means a lot. I’ve been here for half of these. We were 0-for-5 coming into tonight. Matty and Joey are like sons to me, just like all of my players are. It was an honor to come out here, and show out well, and honor their grandfather.”
Crooks led all scorers with 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the field with 11 rebounds and four steals. Terrano pitched in with 15 points and three 3-pointers, while Jirmasek, Rocco Ressler, and Bobby Jackson all scored eight. Ressler also pulled down 14 rebounds.
Wickliffe battled back in the second half but couldn’t make up for its second-quarter woes.
“We had every look we wanted but just couldn’t capitalize,” said Wickliffe head coach Marc Lewis. “Our execution was fine; we just couldn’t finish. We had some mental toughness and worked through some adversity. It was very competitive in that second half, which is what we’re looking for. All we want is a fighting chance to get back in it, and our guys did that.”
Cable led the Blue Devils with 23 points, Wheeler pitched in with 18 points, and Donner finished with seven.
Wickliffe hosts Berkshire on December 27, while Independence hosts Smithville on January 4.
Cuyahoga Heights defeated NEO College Prep in the third-place game, 47-30.
Maurice McClardy led the Red Wolves with a game-high 18 points.
