KETTERING – Thomas Myers and Trey Uetrecht dominated inside and Clinton-Massie pulled away from Ross 58-45 Friday night in a Division III Sectional boys basketball game at Fairmont’s Trent Arena.
Myers had 21 points and 14 rebounds while Uetrecht had 14 points and 11 boards. Massie held a 41-26 rebounding advantage.
Zach Chowning countered with a strong perimeter game, connecting on a trio of three-pointers and finishing with 16 points.
“We knew we had a size advantage and we wanted our guards to get to the basket as much as they could,” CM coach Todd Cook said.
The Falcons (15-8) will face No. 2 seed Bishop Fenwick 6 p.m. Monday at Trent Arena in the second round. Ross ends its season at 15-8.
Despite the height dis-advantage, the pesky, quick-handed Rams were able to garner seven offensive rebounds in the first half and keep things close.
“Two of those offensive rebounds led to threes,” Cook lamented.
The Falcons displayed some nifty passing in the opening frame, recording five assists by five players on seven baskets. The final was Griffin Laake to Myers who converted an old-fashioned three-point play to put CM up 19-11.
The Rams closed the quarter with five straight points then forged a 26-26 tie in the second as Landon Royal led the Ross comeback.
But a Myers basket and a Zach Chowning three gave Todd Cook’s squad a five-point lead at the break.
The Falcons maintained control of the game in the third but could have been in a much better situation. Massie had no fewer than six offensive rebounds in the third but converted those into just two points.
Still Massie led 38-32 on a Uetrecht duece then pushed the difference to eight – largest at the time – when Laake turned a defensive rebound into an assist at the end of a Myers dunk. Uetrecht added a pair of free throws and the Rams committed a turnover – their sixth of the night – and seemed to be unraveling a bit.
Clinton-Massie led 43-32 at the end of three as Myers canned a pair at the line. That concluded a 7-0 run to end the period by the Falcons, who did not turn the ball over the third.
But they weren’t done as Daulton Wolfe made two free throws to complete a 9-0 run and give CM a 45-32 lead. From there, the Falcons hit just enough at the line to pick up the win.
Wolfe’s main contribution was his defense on Ross’ leading scorer Landon Angel, who came in to the game averaging more than 20 points per outing. He was held scoreless in the third.
“We came out in a box-and-one and that took (number) 21 (Angel) out of the game,” Cook said.
As for Fenwick, Clinton-Massie lost 54-40 on Jan. 23 in a non-league game. Cook said his squad led at halftime but was outscored 18-3 in the third and never recovered.
SUMMARY
February 23 2018
Division III Sectional
@Trent Arena
Clinton-Massie Ross
C 19.12.12.15…..58
R 16.10.06.13…..45
(58) CLINTON-MASSIE (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Wolfe 0-0-2-2 Chowning 6-3-1-16 Myers 8-0-5-21 Uetrecht 3-0-8-14 Laake 2-0-1-5 Tate Olberding 0-0-0-0. TOTALS 19-3-17-58
(45) ROSS (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Zimmerman 1-0-0-2 Yeager 3-1-0-7 Angel 5-3-4-17 Geers 0-0-0-0 Valentine 3-0-0-6 Shields 2-1-1-6 Lange 2-2-0-6 Stenger 0-0-0-0 Hodge 0-0-0-0 Records 0-0-0-0. TOTALS 16-8-5-45
FIELD GOALS: CM (19-45) Myers 8-16 Chowning 6-10; R (16-51) Angel 5-11 Valentine 3-5
3 PT FIELD GOALS: CM (3-11) Chowning 3-6; R (8-33) Angel 3-8 Lange 2-4
FREE THROWS: CM (17-29) Myers 5-7; R (5-9)
REBOUNDS: CM-41 (Myers 14 Uetrecht 11 Wolfe 4 Laake 4); R-26 (Angel 9 Zimmerman 5)
ASSISTS: CM-7 (Laake 3 Wolfe 2); R-9 (Yeager 5)
STEALS: CM-5 (Uetrecht 4); R-6 (Yeager 3)
BLOCKED SHOTS: CM-2; R-1
TURNOVERS: CM-10; R-10
