Boys basketball: Wadsworth runs skid to five with second-half collapse against Massillon

MASSILLON — Everything was going according to plan for Wadsworth's boys basketball team heading into the locker room at halftime. After intermission, everything Wadsworth had done so well faded in a 68-58 non-league loss to Massillon on Tuesday night. The Grizzlies (10-9), who have lost four straight, had a 31-26 halftime lead jump to 33-26 when guard Solomon Callaghan scored, but the Tigers (11-8) got rolling with a 12-2 run and never looked back. Center Elijah Farrington capped the run with a three-point play that gave Massillon a 38-35 lead. The Tigers did not stop there, outscoring Wadsworth 20-9 in the third quarter and 42-27 in the second half. "The message at halftime was we've got to come out and go on a 6-0 run," Wadsworth coach Mike Moser said. "We came out, botched a possession and then started giving up transition buckets. That was the very first thing that we talked about as far as keys to winning this game go." Callaghan snapped the 12-2 run with a step-back jumper from the left side with 3:01 left in the period to move him past 2014 Brunswick graduate Ryan Badowski (1,365) on the Medina County scoring list. Callaghan was not done there, as he opened the fourth quarter with a fastbreak layup that put him sixth, past 1949 Chatham graduate Laurence Roberts (1,370). The Wright State commit finished with a game-high 25 points to give him 1,377 for his career, placing him 55 behind 2019 Blue Devils graduate Kyle Goessler (1,432) for fifth. Callaghan also led the team with five rebounds and four assists. Once behind, the best the Grizzlies could do was a 5-0 run in which Maxx Bosley scored four points to trim the deficit to 55-50 with 4:30 remaining. "Transition baskets let them get their lead and then extend it," Moser said. "That caused us offensively to take some shots that we shouldn't have been taking. We sped up on offense when we shouldn't have." Ellington, a 6-foot-6 senior, gave Wadsworth trouble with his size, which clogged the paint on defense and opened opportunities on offense, on his way to 17 points, a team-high nine rebounds and six assists. "He's a tough matchup because he's not only a big, but he plays like a guard," Moser said. "He can play outside or inside. He's strong and athletic to play a variety of roles. If you take something away, he's got a backup plan." Ellington and sharpshooting guard Jalen Slaughter (19 points, 5 3-pointers, 7 assists) scored 20 of Massillon's first 22 points, but the Grizzlies opened a 29-22 lead with 3:55 left in the first half when Callaghan fed point guard Caden Madigan for a basket. Madigan matched Bosley with 13 points, four rebounds and two assists. The only other player to reach the scoring column was power forward Alex Neville, who had seven points, two rebounds and three assists. Center Finn Schmitt grabbed four rebounds and reserve forward Elliot Simmons had three. The emergence of guard Jadyce Thigpen (19 points), who scored his team's last four points of the first half and 13 in the second, helped seal the deal. He and Ellington each scored four points in the 12-2 run, and Thigpen gave the Tigers their first double-digit lead, 55-45, with 5:36 left. Contact John Urchek at jurchek@medina-gazette.com. Massillon 68, Wadsworth 58 WADSWORTH 20 11 9 18 — 58 MASSILLON 17 9 20 22 — 68 Wadsworth — Maxx Bosley 6-1-13, Alex Neville 2-2-7, Finn Schmitt 0-0-0, Solomon Callaghan 10-4-25, Caden Madigan 5-2-13, Elliot Simmons 0-0-0, Luke McMillen 0-0-0. TOTALS: 23-9-58. Massillon — Chris Knight 1-0-2, Brady Manson 3-0-6, Elijah Farrington 7-3-17, Jalen Slaughter 7-0-19, Jadyce Thigpen 8-3-19, Drew Stitt 0-0-0, Terrelle Keyes 1-0-3, Dre'Shaun Jackson 0-2-2. TOTALS: 27-8-68. 3-point goals — Madigan, Callaghan, Neville, Slaughter 5, Keyes. Rebounds — Wadsworth 25 (Callaghan 5), Massillon 24 (Farrington 9). Assists — Massillon 13 (Slaughter 7), Wadsworth 11 (Callaghan 4) Records — Wadsworth (10-9), Massillon (11-8). Junior varsity — Massillon 46, Wadsworth 38 (W: Caden Shriver 15).