by Cleveland Heights, OH- Holy Name opened up their 2023/24 regular season with a big win 84-61 over Riverside at the 2023 Great Lakes Classic behind 20+ point performances from Maxwell Bollin, Drew Styers, and Adam Humenik.
The first quarter of the game favored the Beavers heavily at the start. Riverside utilized a full-court press to apply plenty of pressure on the Green Wave. This led to an early 14-8 Riverside lead behind the play of Brady McKnight. While the majority of his 9 points came in the opening frame, he continued to distribute the ball and create chances by driving to the rim. Holy Name was then able to turn things around as Adam Humenik heated up from beyond the arc as he sunk 3 straight triples to catapult Holy Name to a 22-21 lead over Riverside going into the second quarter.
The scoring began to slow down in the second quarter as each team began to sure up on defense. This defense for Holy Name was spearheaded by St Edward transfer Aidan Butler who was able to grab plenty of offensive and defensive boards. Joe Lewis was able to do the same off the bench. For Riverside, it was the introduction of Joey Durdella from beyond the arc that helped keep the Beavers in a tight game with the Green Wave with the score 36-32 at the half.
When looking at games that have a decent difference in the final score, there usually is one turning point that is seen as the cause. This turning point came at the start of the third quarter. Holy Name color commentator Michael Oleksik stated that whichever team came out of the break looking fresh and sharp would essentially win. That team was the Green Wave. The third started with an 8-0 run capped off by a three from Humenik. The Beavers kept fighting however as they made a habit of driving to the hoop and being fouled. Riverside was able to take advantage of the charity stripe to keep the game close for a time, but Holy Name kept scoring bucket after bucket. This led to a 56-44 HN lead after three quarters.
The final quarter of play started with a common theme—a 12-point Holy Name lead. The back-and-forth nature of the score lasted for a few minutes, but Holy Name put their foot back on the gas to solidify their lead. With a few minutes left on the clock, Holy Name strung together a few possessions off steals to add onto their lead. With that, HN was victorious 84-61 over Riverside.
Holy Name looked sharp once they were down 14-8. Once the first game jitters seemed to subside, everything clicked. Lutheran West transfer Julian Freeman, Joe Lewis, and newcomer Andrew Cole held down the 5-role well. The big 3 of Styers, Bollin, and Humenik looked better than ever. Butler held his own grabbing boards which earned him the “be the hammer” from HN following the game. John Hay transfer Christian Camargo looked solid as well.
For Riverside, recapturing that first quarter form will be paramount. The full court press they employed worked to absolute perfection as it caused a few turnovers. McKnight looked like a star early on. Durdella, Colin Durkin, and Kyele Harden were sharp from beyond the arc. Finally, Ashton Montgomery, and Matt Priest held down the fort inside the paint along with Greg Kolar and Dez Kirks off the bench. Once Riverside’s highest scoring returner Andrew Taggart returns to the court, the Beavers will be even more of a threat. Having his 14.5 points per game from last year may be the boost the Beavers need.
Holy Name travels to North Ridgeville on Tuesday while Riverside hosts Solon on Tuesday as well.
Riverside Key Players
#1 Brady McKnight: 9 Points
#5 Colin Durkin: 10 Points
#11 Joey Durdella 6 Points
Holy Name Key Players
#3 Drew Styers: 27 Points (HN Career High)
#4 Max Bollin: 24 Points
#12 Adam Humenik: 25 Points
Player of the Game: Drew Styers
