by Don DiFrancesco (@MayorNEOPrep)
OLMSTED FALLS, OHIO– Olmsted Falls remains unbeaten in the Southwestern Conference after posting a 53-44 win over neighborhood rival Berea-Midpark on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs (9-1, 6-0 SWC) had a narrow 43-42 lead heading to the fourth quarter, but outscored the Titans 10-2 down the stretch to seal the victory.
Berea-Midpark put themselves in an early hole with eight turnovers in the first quarter. And when Olmsted Falls’ Ryan Higginbotham nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, the Bulldogs had an 18-11 lead.
Berea-Midpark scored the first three baskets of the second quarter, but Olmsted Falls came right back with a 10-2 run and led by a score of 28-19. The 9-point Bulldog lead was their largest until the game’s final margin. The Titans managed to keep the game close with a 16-9 rebounding advantage in the first half, but trailed 30-24 at the intermission.
Berea-Midpark (4-4, 2-4 SWC) hung with Olmsted Falls in the third quarter and took the lead 42-41 when Jalen Dixon banked in a layup with 0:10 to play. But again the Bulldogs had an answer; this time it was Braden Galaska with a basket as time expired to put Olmsted Falls back in front 43-42 heading to the final eight minutes.
The Titans seemed to have momentum on their side, but went completely cold in the fourth quarter. A basket early in the quarter by Trevor Bycznski was Berea-Midpark’s final score of the night. Olmsted Falls converted five out of seven free throws in the final period as they closed out the win.
The Bulldogs’ scoring leader was 6-foot junior guard Eric Hanna with 16 points. Galaska, a 6-foot-1 junior guard, was right behind with 12, and 6-foot-3 Tom Lloyd, the lone senior on the Olmsted Falls varsity squad, chipped in 10.
Berea-Midpark was paced by Dwayne Holland. The 6-foot junior hit for a career-high of 14 points. The Titans kept up their strong rebounding throughout the game, finishing with a 30-18 edge. But they couldn’t sustain enough offense to overtake the Bulldogs.
Berea-Midpark 11 13 18 2 = 44
Olmsted Falls (home) 18 12 13 10 = 53
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