March 9, 2022
Canton, Ohio
OHSAA Boys Division 3 Regional Semifinal
Creston Norwayne 11 14 2 18 = 45
Cle. Hts. Lutheran East 16 9 11 22 = 58
Norwayne played Lutheran East on even terms through the first 16 minutes, but the Cleveland-area Falcons dominated the Bobcats from Wayne County in the second half to earn a 58-45 win on Wednesday evening.
Lutheran East took their largest lead in the first half, 16-11, when Cody Head sank a 3-point bomb as the first quarter buzzer sounded. Head, a junior guard, totaled 17 points in the game.
Norwayne, on the strength of 11 first-half points from senior guard Isaiah Portis, fought back to tie the game 25-25 at the intermission. Junior guard Justin Rupp tallied 8 points in the first two quarters on his way to a team-leading 19-point game.
But the second half was a different story. The Falcons were able to consistently get the ball inside to junior forward Devin Belle who torched the nets at a 9-for-13 pace over the final two periods. Belle was the leading scorer in the game with 23 points.
The Bobcats short-circuited any hopes of a comeback by committing 7 turnovers and shooting just 25% (6/24) in the second half.
Lutheran East advances to play Youngstown Cardinal Mooney in the regional final on Saturday night, with the winner earning a spot in next week’s state tournament at Dayton.
Creston Norwayne
Rupp 6 – 6/6 – 19
Portis 5 – 3/8 – 13
Hess 2 – 0/0 – 5
Booth 1 – 2/2 – 4
Hann 2 – 0/0 – 4
Graham 0 – 0/0 – 0
Field Goals: 16/49, 33% 3-Point Shots: 2/9, 22% Free Throws: 11/16, 69%
Rebounds: 32 Turnovers: 9
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Cleveland Heights Lutheran East
Belle 11 – 1/1 – 23
Head 6 – 3/6 – 17
McCulloch 5 – 0/0 – 10
Brashers 1 – 0/0 – 2
Burge 0 – 2/4 – 2
Johnson 1 – 0/0 – 2
Spivey 1 – 0/0 – 2
Field Goals: 25/52, 48% 3-Point Shots: 2/12, 17% Free Throws: 6/11, 55%
Rebounds: 31 Turnovers: 6
By: Don DiFrancesco @MayorNEOPrep
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