Entering their third matchup this season, NOL rivals Ontario Warriors and Sandusky Blue Streaks’, the No. 1 seed and No. 2 seed respectively, were primed for an instant classic. With the DII Mansfield District crown at stake, Sandusky outlasted Ontario in a roller-coaster of a game, 70-68.
In a game full of momentum swings, the biggest push came early as the Blue Streaks raced out to a 15-3 lead. They would end the first frame leading 20-10. That would be the only quarter in which they would out-score the Warriors. In the second quarter, the Warriors clawed back within five points by halftime.
“We thought their start was as good as they could have played and we felt good at the half going in down five,” said Warriors head coach Joe Balogh.
The two teams traded baskets following the break. In the third, the Warriors slowly erased Sandusky’s lead 38-38.
Ontario briefly took the lead at 40-38. But key turnovers, missed layups and shots that rimmed in and out hamstrung the Warriors’ efforts to break away. The Blue Streaks regained their composure and the lead at the end of the third 54-50.
“(We) didn’t panic at all,” said Blue Streak’s head coach Colin Irish. “That’s part of the maturity we’ve gone through. These guys have gotten so mature over the course of the season. We just kept playing.”
As both teams traded baskets down the stretch, Ontario was dealt a big blow in the fourth quarter. Down 61-51 and with just 5:28 left to go, Lenell Shelby fouled out. But the Warriors weren’t going anywhere.
As their leading scorer sat the bench, Ontario quickly countered with a 6-0 run to pull within four. However, Sandusky managed to limit the surge all the way to the final buzzer, when Treyvian Jordan’s non-consequential three pushed the final score to 70-68.
“I’m really proud of how our kids fought back, said Balogh, adding that had the game been longer a momentum swing might have been in store. “A couple more minutes and we might have been there. But to battle back without our point guard and best player says a lot of about the character of this basketball team.”
Top Scorers: Blue Streaks guard Jayreese Williams went 7 of 10 from the field. He was 4 for 4 from beyond the arc and 8 for 8 at the free throw line. He had a game high of 26 points. George Brown followed with 19 and Davion Fisher added 14 points.
For the Warriors, Shelby led the squad with 17 points despite his abbreviated play time. Jordan followed with 15 points and 6 assists. Paul Homan added 13 points.
Round Three: Saturday night marked the third time that the teams faced each other. Their previous meetings both ended in Ontario wins.
“I think it’s tough any time to beat a team three times, especially a good basketball team – and they’re a good basketball team” said Balogh. “I mean, their four losses: two were to us, one was Ashland and one was to Clyde after they played three games in a row. There’s no doubt they’re a good team.”
“We’re better than we were, at this point,” said Irish. “We executed very well, we played very hard, got in a little foul trouble, but you know we managed to stay together which is the most important thing we needed to do.”
Up Next: Sandusky advances to regionals. They will face Parma Heights Holy Name who beat Vermillion 65-50. Tipoff is at 6:15 p.m. on March 19 at Bowling State University.
