by Medina County, OH- Holy Name says goodbye to the Great Lakes Conference in style with a 58-49 victory over Buckeye despite the absences of Max Bollin and Drew Styers.
The starting five looked a little unusual for Holy Name given the inactives as Aiden Butler and Aaron Riley stepped up to start alongside Andrew Cole, Adam Humenik, and Joe Lewis. It was a slow start for the Green and White as Buckeye jumped out to an early 7-2 lead. This run was on the back of Turner Dolata as the sophomore opened with 5 quick points. Dolata’s efforts were supplemented by 4 points from Derek Snyderburn and 3 points from Casey Murray. By the end of the first, Dolata had 14 points, outscoring the 13 points he posted at HN earlier this campaign.
For the Green Wave, Adam Humenik had to step into the star role tonight. He made the most of his opportunity early as he entered the second quarter with 8 points. Traditionally, he is known for his shooting beyond the arc. However, he made a habit of posing up and fading away inside the arc to make tough shots. Brody Boyert came off the bench as the sixth man and he immediately converted from outside the arc. Jeffrey Jemison also came off the bench and split his free throws. Lewis rounded out the scoring as Buckeye led 21-17 over HN heading into the second.
The high paced basketball continued in the second quarter as a total of five combined 3’s fell. Humenik added 5 points to his tally this frame including a triple. Lewis took his tally to 6 points after sinking two field goals. However, it was Boyert who led the way for Holy Name as he added 8 points with 6 coming from downtown. Dolata matched Boyert’s second quarter exploits with 8 points of his own. 6’7 Freshman Nolan Klingbeil added 3 points off the bench for the Bucks. Interestingly, he is not listed on the Buckeye roster that is handed out at the door before each game. He is the definition of a true hidden gem. Austin Hyre added a triple to round out the scoring as the game was tied 34-34 at halftime.
The scoring seemingly dried up at the start of the second half. In the first four minutes of the third quarter, a combined 4 points were scored. Cole added two for Holy Name and Snyderburn added two for Buckeye. The turning point of the game came in the form of defense. With the score tied at 38, Cole missed a mid-range jumper. Klingbeil took the ball down the other end and attempted to dunk. However, 5’7 Butler got up and blocked the attempt. He then sent the ball down the court for Humenik to drain a triple. Yes, you’re reading this correctly. Butler, a 5’7 guard, blocked Klingbeil, a 6’7 center. This was enough to ensure HN went into the fourth quarter up 43-42.
When it comes to closing out games, defense is key. The Green Wave’s defense did their job perfectly in the fourth as they only allowed 7 points. Three of these points came from a Murray triple in the final few seconds. Boyert and Riley both drilled go-ahead triples early in the frame. Butler put the game on ice with an and one. Finally, Lewis added 4 points in the final seconds to take his tally to 12. As the buzzer sounded, HN celebrated win number 14 on the year 58-49.
Adversity is the rally cry of Holy Name High School. For years, they have had to get back up after unfortunate events. Tonight, two of their best players couldn’t play. However, all seven guys who played stepped up to the occasion and got the job done. Coach Patton has plenty of faith in his team and it showed. Boyert and Lewis both posted career highs with 14 and 12 points respectively. Up next for the Green Wave is Orrville on Tuesday in round one of the playoffs. Buckeye travels to Revere to kick off their playoff run Tuesday night.
Buckeye Key Players
#12 Dylan Snyderburn: 10 Points
#21 Turner Dolata: 23 Points
#23 Nolan Klingbeil: 7 Points
Holy Name Key Players
#2 Brody Boyert: 14 Points (Career-High)
#10 Joe Lewis: 12 Points (Career-High)
#12 Adam Humenik: 18 Points
Players of the Game: Adam Humenik and Brody Boyert
