Boys basketball: Tanner Toot shows he can shoot in Mentor win over Medina

MENTOR — Tanner Toot can shoot. The 5-foot-8 senior shooting guard canned eight 3-pointers Friday as Mentor defeated Medina 91-79 in a Greater Cleveland Conference boys basketball game that wasn't nearly as close as the final score indicates. The Cardinals (2-0, 2-0) led by 21 points early in the second period and by 26 midway through the third quarter before the Bees (2-2, 2-1) made the final score respectable by winning the fourth 23-14. "(Mentor's) Bob (Krizancic) is a really good coach," Bees coach Chris Hassinger said. "He has a system and he builds that system in the younger age groups. He's been at it for, what, 40 years? They shoot the ball so well and they play with a lot of confidence." Krizancic, an Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee, is in his 31st season in charge of the Cardinals. He has led them to 16 district titles, three regional crowns and one Division I state championship (2012-13). Once again one of the favorites in the GCC, fast-paced, free-wheeling Mentor always seems to have decent size and great shooters, and that was on full display against Medina. Toot made seven of his first eight 3-point attempts, including five as the Cardinals took a 53-35 halftime lead, before finishing with 24 points on 8-for-13 shooting from deep. Ian Ioppolo, a 6-6 center, was even better, making four threes and going 13-for-21 from the field en route to game highs of 30 points and 11 boards as Mentor, which scored 91 points while attempting just two free throws, controlled the glass 34-26. The Cardinals, who finished 15-for-31 from beyond the arc, also got 18 points, four boards and three assists from left-handed small forward Matthew Biddell, while Medina got solid efforts from Brock Beech (20, 7, 2), Connor Smith (18, 4, 2), Luke Hassinger (9, 1, 2) and Jase Holland (8, 7, 0). J. T. Mog (9, 3, 4) and Bryce Zufra (7, 1, 4) had excellent fourth quarters as the Bees refused to quit. Using full-court pressure throughout and taking the first open shot they got, the Cardinals were phenomenal over the first 12 minutes, making 17 of their first 23 shots from the field, including 7-of-10 3-pointers, en route to a 43-22 lead. Mentor led by 26 with three minutes left in the third period. Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4046 or rnoland@medina-gazette.com. Follow him @RickNoland on X. Mentor 91, Medina 79 MEDINA 11 24 21 23 — 79 MENTOR 25 28 24 14 — 91 Medina — Brock Beech 8-2-20, Kellon Johnson 2-2-6, Connor Smith 5-8-18, J.T. Mog 3-0-9, Luke Hassinger 3-0-9, Bryce Zufra 3-0-7, Jase Holland 3-2-8, Everett Rodriguez 0-0-0, Coan Miller 1-0-2. TOTALS: 28-14-79. Mentor — Matthew Biddell 7-2-18, Conner O'Brien 3-0-6, Ian Ioppolo 13-0-30, Tanner Toot 8-0-24, Marcus Sierputowski 2-0-4, Ayo Olulami 2-0-5, Jake Calo 0-0-0, Dominic Baroni 0-0-0, Rudy Reilly 0-0-0, Kobe Frazue-Azzano 2-0-4, Makel Harrison 0-0-0, Tony Katavia 0-0-0. TOTALS: 37-2-91. 3-point goals — Mog 3, Hassinger 3, Beech 2, Zufra, Toot 8, Iapoolo 4, Biddell 2, Olulami. Rebounds — Medina 26 (Beech, Holland 7), Mentor 34 (Ioppolo 11). Assists — Medina 18 (Zufra 5), Mentor 22 (Sierputowski, Frazue-Azzano 4). Records — Medina (2-2, 2-1), Mentor (2-0, 2-0). Junior varsity — Mentor 63, Medina 51 (Med: Garrett Myes 14).