Boys basketball: Misfires from long range sink Cloverleaf against Streetsboro

WESTFIELD TWP. — Someone must have severed the line to the basket, because the Cloverleaf boys basketball team was unable to dial long distance. Failing to take advantage of their best opportunities to connect from deep Friday, the Colts were methodically picked apart by smarter, tougher Streetsboro 53-42 in what amounted to a must-win Metro Athletic Conference game for Cloverleaf. Missing 12 consecutive 3-point attempts before backup sharpshooter Joe Cesareo finally connected off a pass from Ty Kovach with 2:15 left in the third quarter, the Colts (6-5, 3-4) made just 2-of-17 3-pointers on the night en route to putting up a season low for points for the second straight game. Streetsboro (10-2, 7-0) leads the MAC with a 38.5 defensive scoring average, and it was easy to see why as it flustered Cloverleaf with intelligent defense that did a great job of fighting through myriad off-ball screens. Charles Ivory also was brilliant holding Colts star Marty Moran in check, as Moran couldn't create his usual driving lanes and needed seven points in an inconsequential fourth quarter to reach a team-high 13. A unique 6-foot-2 talent who can play all five positions, Ivory was far and away the most important player with 12 points, six rebounds, seven assists and four blocks. Jack Batten took care of the scoring, making four 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 19 points, while All-Ohio football player Jackson Gula had nine points and nine rebounds. Cloverleaf got the aforementioned 13 points from Moran, but its most consistent player was Carter Whitehair, who used his strength to plow to the rim to finish with 12 points. Zak Brownson hauled in seven rebounds — the Colts lost the category 34-26 — while Isaac Smith had eight points on 3-for-13 shooting. After a brutal opening 3:45 in which neither team scored from the field, Streetsboro began to set the pace with an unselfish motion offense that wasn't afraid to pass up a decent shot for a good shot. The Rockets also slowed down Cloverleaf's transition game with a 1-2-2 press that was designed to maintain pace much more than trapping for turnovers. Cloverleaf trailed 24-18 at halftime, then fell apart in the third. The lead reached 35-20 midway through the period, and the Colts never got closer than seven the rest of the way. Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com. Streetsboro 53, Cloverleaf 42 STREETSBORO &emsp;&emsp;16 8 15 14 — 53 CLOVERLEAF &emsp;&emsp;12 6 9 15 — 42 Streetsboro — Jackson Gula 1-6-9, Janiere Cook 2-0-4, Trevor Murray 2-0-5, Jack Batten 6-3-19, Charles Ivory 5-2-12, Ethan Laryea 1-0-2, Preston Laryea 1-0-2. TOTALS: 18-11-53. Cloverleaf — Marty Moran 6-0-13, Carter Whitehair 4-4-12, Zak Brownson 1-0-2, Ty Kovach 2-0-4, Isaac Smith 3-2-8, Kellen Price 0-0-0, Gavin Forbes 0-0-0, Joe Cesareo 1-0-3. TOTALS: 17-6-42. 3-point goals — Batten 4, Gula, Murray, Moran, Cesareo. Rebounds — Streetsboro 34 (Gula 10), Cloverleaf 26 (Brownson 7). Assists — Streetsboro 9 (Ivory 7), Cloverleaf 8 (Moran 3). Records — Cloverleaf (6-5, 3-4), Streetsboro (10-2, 7-0). Junior varsity — Streetsboro 69, Cloverleaf 64 (C: Damien Reed 18).