by LYNDHURST, Ohio– Brush head coach Chet Mason knows his team is a defensive-minded team. Prior to the 80-59 win against Euclid, his guys were holding opponents to just 45 points per game, something he believes is the standard for this season.
“That’s our goal, we want to get stops,” Mason said. “With all the talent we have in that room, I do believe that we need to score more so I’m harping to push the ball and run to get easy baskets.”
It was a tight first half largely in part of the Panther zone defense they were playing. With that, it limited the Arcs in the open court and made them settle for a bit too many jump shots outside the key.
As the game went on, the Arcs were able to get more comfortable playing the speed they’re used to playing at and beating the Panthers zone down the court.
“We want to set the tone in the game going to the hole and being aggressive, just beating the zone down the court,” senior guard Elmore James said. ” I feel like we didn’t come out as aggressive (in the first half). As you saw in the second half, we came out more aggressive and attacked more…we just have to be aggressive right out of the gate.”
Brush held a 35-24 lead at the break. However, that’s as close as the Panthers got within striking distance the rest of the game.
The Arcs really started to open the game up by beating the zone press with a myriad of transition buckets. Tyler Williams and Elmore James each had at least nine points in the third quarter, helping lead to the Arcs outscoring the Panthers 31-11 in the third quarter alone.
@marlonbarnesjr finds Tyler Williams for the alley-oop. All Brush in the 3rd Q. @BrushAthletics @ChetMason32 @SportsKee1 pic.twitter.com/UCtzfWI5Jb
— Michael Trivisonno (@MichaelTriv_) January 12, 2022
“We just got to keep on trying to master beating the zone up the floor and attack to not let them set it up,” said Mason of beating out of the zone defense.
For the game, Elmore James paced the Arcs with 19 points. Trace Bishko added 17 points with a couple of 3-pointers along with 15 points apiece from Tyler Williams and Antwone Woolfolk.
Clayton Cunningham did all he could to try and limit the Arcs from making runs, but it wasn’t enough in the second half. Once the lead got to 15 points for Mason and his team, there was no letting up.
Cunningham led the way with a game-high 24 points during the loss, dropping the Panthers to 5-3 on the season. Michael Moore contributed with 21 points to lead a Euclid team that couldn’t control its turnovers throughout the second half.
For the Arcs, the win improves them to 10-1 on the year with their next game coming on Sunday against one of Ohio’s toughest teams in Gahanna Lincoln as part of the annual Flyin’ To The Hoops Showcase.
For James, he feels like his guys are starting to click at the right time but knows there’s much more basketball ahead for one of the hottest teams in Northeast Ohio.
“All our guys are getting touches and we’re having more guys in double figures every night,” James said. “I feel like we’re gonna need that type of chemistry especially heading into the playoffs because we’re already at the halfway point of the season so we just got to keep bringing it together.”
