Boys basketball: Highland takes care of business, keeps Barberton winless

GRANGER TWP. — The Highland boys basketball team wasn't about to allow Barberton to get its first win of the season. Behind solid games from center Hunter Winston and small forward Maddox Albright and a breakout performance from freshman Evangelos Verginis, the Hornets rolled to an easy 56-33 Suburban League American Conference victory Tuesday night. "We looked at it as any other game," said the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Winston, who bulled his way to 14 points and nine rebounds. "Anybody can beat us if we don't play our 'A' game, but if we play the way we're capable, we'll be fine against any team." With second-leading scorer Noah Radigan out for the season with an ACL injury, Albright stepped up his game and finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and two assists, while Verginis scored a career-high 13 to go along with three boards. "It was a Tuesday night and there weren't many people in the stands," Verginis said after going 5-for-10 from the field. "I felt free to play and my shots went down. "I look at it as I don't have to score points (because Radigan is out). I just have to go out and make an impact. Today I was just hitting." Against an intelligent man-to-man Highland (9-6, 6-3) defense that didn't gamble, covered every cutter and challenged almost all shots in the paint, the Magics (0-16, 0-9) didn't make much of anything. Barberton, which was down 26-11 at halftime and trailed by as many as 30 in the fourth period, finished 14-for-51 from the field (.275) and made its last two free throws in garbage time to end up 3-for-11 at the line (.273), "We knew they were going to send cutters, so we switched everything," Verginis said. "They were strong in the paint, but we forced them to take tough shots over us." The Hornets, who went on a 17-2 run that spanned the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second to go up 24-8, also got nine points and two rebounds from new starter Zach Butcher, three points, three boards and four assists from point guard Landon Sooy and eight rebounds from backup center Walker Kraus. Barberton, which shot two air balls from the line and had a number of other attempts barely graze rim, got seven points from reserve Xzavier Macon, six points and four rebounds from center Mike Jones and two points, six boards and an assist from guard Angelo Harper. "We wanted to limit our fouls and make them shoot tough shots over our length," Winston said. "If they hit 'em, they hit 'em." Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4046 or rnoland@medina-gazette.com. Follow him @RickNoland on Twitter. Highland 56, Barberton 33 BARBERTON 6 5 11 11 — 33 HIGHLAND 9 17 14 16 — 56 Barberton — Cory Martin 1-0-2, Mike Jones 3-0-6, Corey Gibson 1-0-2, Kieron Smith 1-0-2, Angelo Harper 1-0-2, Nathan Ridge 0-0-0, Mark Tavanello 1-2-5, Robert Davis 1-0-2, Xzavier Macon 3-1-7, Ryan Herold 1-0-2, D.J. Owens 1-0-3. TOTALS: 14-3-33. Highland — Maddox Albright 5-2-13, Richard Chapman 0-1-1, Hunter Winston 4-6-14, Zachary Butcher 2-4-9, Landon Sooy 1-0-3, Evangelos Verginis 5-2-13, Walker Kraus 0-0-0, Dylan Borla 0-0-0, Luke Conrad 0-0-0, Cameron Koch 0-0-0, Paul Zeiger 0-0-0, Brent Flesch 1-0-3. TOTALS: 18-15-56. 3-point goals — Owens, Tavenello, Sooy, Albright, Butcher, Verginis, Flesch. Rebounds — Barberton 25 (Harper 6), Highland 35 (Winston 9). Assists — Barberton 7 (Smith 3), Highland 10 (Sooy 4). Records — Barberton (0-16, 0-9), Highland (9-6, 6-3). Junior varsity — Highland 36, Barberton 33 (H: Carson Cope 12).