Stark helps Cougars survive scare
Ryan Stark picked a perfect time to record his career-high in a high school basketball game.
With Centennial point guard Reese Radobenko struggling with his offence Thursday— although struggling might be a strange word considering Radobenko ended up with a game-high 22 points — Stark chipped in with 18 points to help the Cougars record a hard-fought 65-58 win over the Holy Cross Raiders in the championship quarter-finals of the 64th Annual Welland Tribune Basketball Tournament
The Grade 11 student at Centennial has had back-to-back 25 points games with his Grimsby travel squad, but 18 is his new high in his first year of senior basketball
“It’s a big step up from junior because the players are a lot bigger and faster but coach Tony (Ferrusi) teaches me to shoot and if it’s not there, go for a layup,” the 15-year-old said.
Stark doesn’t try to do anything he can’t do on a basketball court.
“I know my game and I know my role,” the 6-foot-1 guard said. “I know we have a great point guard and I try to get open, shoot the three and help him out on defence as much as I can.
“I love the defensive part of the game and try to get as many defensive stops as I can.”
Stark ended up playing every minute of Thursday’s game and didn’t look tired after the game.
“We had a couple of practices after a tournament at Christmas and we got right back in the swing of things.”
Ferrusi described Stark’s offensive outburst as a good thing.
“I don’t like to see Reese struggle because he is the hardest worker I have ever had and he has done his job last year and the year before,” he said. “Today, he was having a bit of a struggle.”
Not so for Stark.
“Yesterday, he did not have that good of a game, but today he had to step up,” Ferrusi said. “In order to maintain the position that he has, he is going to have to produce.”
There was no secret as to why Ferrusi played Stark the entire game.
“I didn’t want to take him off and he didn’t want to come off,” he said. “I told him that if he kept playing defence that he would stay in the game.”
The Raiders gave the defending champion Cougars all they could handle. Holy Cross led 17-16 after the first quarter before trailing 35-23 at the half and 51-40 after the first three quarters. The Raiders cut the lead to 51-46 to start the fourth quarter and hung tough the rest of the game.
“The first quarter was excellent and we had a mental lapse in the second quarter that really put the game out of reach for us for a bit,” Holy Cross coach Mike Hendrickse said. “I was proud of the way they came back in the fourth quarter and the determination they showed.”
The Raiders looked much-improved from their play at the Standard tournament.
“After the Christmas break, we have played two really good games and I am hoping we can continue along that path of improving and be ready for the playoffs,” Hendrickse said. “Our ball movement is better, our passing is a little bit better and I think they are understanding the systems that we run.
“They are not thinking about it as much and they are letting the play come to them.”
Ferrusi was impressed with the performance of Holy Cross.
“They played very well and I didn’t really know what to expect from them,” he said. “We had a pretty good game yesterday and I think our kids thought they could play the same way.
“But you can’t play the same way against another team when you don’t know anything about them.”
STATS PACK
Cougars 65 Raiders 58
Mountainview Homes Players of the Game: Centennial’s Nick Yioldassis and Holy Cross’ Reuben Eshuis.
For the Centennial Cougars: Reese Radobenko 22; Ryan Stark 18; Yioldassis 17; Kyle Clarkson 3; Jackson McNeill 3; Anthony Perna 2.
For the Holy Cross Raiders: Reuben Eshuis 16; Tinashe Dandato 15; Adrian Wasnak 13; Isaiah Amio 11; Jimmy Carbonel 2; Ibukun Gbengabanjo 1.
BULLDOGS 61 LYNX 41
The Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs advanced to the Trib consolation semifinals with a convincing win over the Jean Vanier Lynx Thursday at Jean Vanier.
Nick Beaudoin paced SWC with 15 while Brendan Barker added 14. Other scorers were: Nate Butler (10); Oreoluwa Fowler (7); Noah Garnace (6); Connor Johnston (5); and, Aziz Basic (5).
Replying for the Jean Vanier Lynx were: Jacob Labonte (20); Raymond Tellier (7); Maxime Leduc (3); Michael Porada (3); and, Gregoire Belanger (2). Six points were unaccounted for on scoresheet.
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