PERRY—Perry’s 54-43 win over visiting Geneva on Tuesday left the Pirates and three others in a position to earn a share of the Chagrin Valley Conference Lake Division title.
The Pirates needed a win over the first-place Eagles to remain in the hunt for the conference championship.
“Our guys were consistent all night long,” said Perry coach Al Iacofano. “They had a great mentality defensively, they stayed disciplined and patient on offense, they waited for the right things to open up.”
Vince Tomasic scored four first-quarter points that helped Perry build an 11-10 lead heading into the second quarter. He added six more and Derreon Malone added five more as the Pirates ran their lead to 22-11 early in the second.
Geneva’s Luke Barbo kept the Eagles in the game with a 13-point first half, but Perry took a 26-20 lead into the break.
The Pirates then used a 15-2 run to start the second half and led 43-27 entering the fourth.
“We didn’t do a great job closing out the first and second quarter,” Iacofano said. “(Geneva) was able to put together some small runs in the final minute of each quarter to trim our lead. That consistent effort the guys gave all night was ultimately what helped us close out the third quarter the way we did.”
Perry limited Geneva to just seven third-quarter points behind a great 1-3-1 defensive set that worked wonders for the host.
“It was disruptive tonight,” Iacofano said. “I think it’s something we can use moving forward with big games coming. The guys really bought into it. They were active and communicated well in that zone.”
Tomasic closed the game with a nine-point fourth quarter. He scored a game-high 25 points on 12-of-14 shooting from the floor.
After the game, he was awarded the team’s “Bring the Juice” chain.
“I had a rough past few games against Bishop Watterson and Harvey,” Tomasic said. “I knew I had to step up this game. If I didn’t, then maybe the score would have looked different tonight. I knew I had to step up and ‘Bring the Juice.’”
Malone added 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting.
“These can be our most consistent guys night in and night out, but we also have a 1,000-point scorer on the court as well, so it can be anybody for us,” Iacofano said of his leading scorers. “We got a lot of guys who can shoot and finish around the rim. Whoever we play doesn’t matter, we just want to have good possessions and stay sound defensively and win games.”
Brayden Richards pitched in with eight points, while Allen Morris, Walter Moses, and Ryan Zurinsky all finished with two points to round out the Prate offense.
With the win, the Pirates avenged a 53-50 loss at Geneva on Jan. 19.
“It’s a game that we wanted; we didn’t feel good about how we played at Geneva,” Iacofano said. “For us to be able to respond the way that we did is one step in the direction for what we want to do to finish out the regular season and even into the postseason.”
Barbo led Geneva with 22 points while Luke Smith and Hayden Diemer scored eight points each. Bryce Peet connected on a corner 3-pointer and Jamil Daghlas finished 1-of-2 from the free throw line.
“(Perry) just out-physicaled us tonight, plain and simple,” said Geneva coach Eric Bowser. “The guys got outplayed tonight. We weren’t ready to play. Perry came ready to go and completely outworked us. They were more physical and took control of the game from us.”
With the loss, the Eagles have little margin for error to win the conference title.
“The message started just now in the locker room,” Bowser said. “We got to start all over again and come back tomorrow with 100 percent energy and fix the things that bit us in the can tonight. The kids are resilient. It’s a good group of guys and they’ll figure it out and we’ll get them in the right place.”
Perry’s win left four teams in the hunt for the conference title.
Geneva sits at 9-3 with two games left, both against conference title contenders. The Eagles host Jefferson (6-5) and travel to Madison (8-3). The Eagles would earn a share of the conference title with two wins. If they lose one, they’d need some help to earn a share of the crown.
Perry is 8-3 with three road games remaining at Lakeside (3-8), Conneaut (0-12), and Jefferson (6-5). The Pirates must win out to split the title with Geneva, provided the Eagles win out. With one or more losses, the Pirates would need some help to earn a share of the title.
Madison also is 8-3 with three games remaining including a road contest at Harvey and home games against Geneva and Lakeside. The Blue Streaks can’t afford another loss.
Jefferson is 6-5 but not yet mathematically eliminated from the conference title race. The Falcons need Geneva to lose to both Jefferson and Madison, and Perry and Madison to lose two of their last three.
“If we can’t replicate this type of performance in this conference you’re going to lose,” Iacofano said. “We can’t be satisfied or content with where we are. We have to come in and get better tomorrow. If (the players) don’t have that mentality, then a team in this conference is going to make us pay. It’s too competitive of a league to not have that approach.”
