Recordpub.com - Extra passes create big win for Southeast

Colin Harris

Record-Courier staff writer

BOARDMAN -- The last two times the Southeast Pirates and Crestwood Red Devils boys basketball teams met on the court, nothing was certain until the final buzzer.

Monday night, however, the two teams met on a bigger stage -- one the Pirates' shooters were eager match.

Seven Southeast players chipped in as the Pirates rode a first-quarter offensive burst for a 68-56 victory in the opening round of the Youngstown Division II Sectional Tournament at Boardman High School.

"It feels really good to be able to say we've got a playoff win under our belt," Southeast head coach Bob Dunn said. "It's good for our seniors who have worked so hard and our younger players to get that experience. This is something that we'll be able to celebrate."

With the victory, Southeast will advance to the second round of the sectional tournament to take on No. 1-seeded Poland Seminary on Friday at 6:00 pm.

From the opening tip, both teams pushed the ball hard, trading leads on seven occasions.

After a 3-pointer by junior Kyle Walters at the 3:40 mark gave the Red Devils the a 10-9 lead, Southeast senior guard Alex Blake responded quickly with the second of his three first-quarter 3-pointers to give the Pirates a 12-0 lead -- one they would not relinquish.

Blake was a force on the night for Southeast, scoring 17 points and forcing multiple Crestwood turnovers with his defense.

Blake was joined in double figured by freshman Joe Dejacimo (12), while three other players -- junior Ozzie Thomas, senior Matt Bright and sophomore Travis Smith -- finished with nine points for the Pirates.

"We passed the ball better than we have recently and that contributed to some easier shots," Dunn said. "Tonight, we made that extra pass we haven't always made and our shooters, especially Alex, really stepped up to make shots."

With a 21-10 lead built by the start of the second quarter, the Pirates began to slow the pace of the game down.

Walters carried the Crestwood offense for much of the night as he led all scorers with 30 points. The 5-foot-11 guard connected on six 3-pointers and was 4-of-4 from the foul line.

"Well, Kyle's had a few nights like this during the course of the season, and I really do think he's one of the best shooters in the area," Crestwood head coach Bob Lieberth said. "There were some stretches tonight where he really carried our offense."

Southeast will have little time to celebrate Monday night's victory, as the Poland Seminary Bulldogs await.

The 20-0 Bulldogs are one of the top-ranked teams in the state and will post a tough task for the Pirates.

Dunn said he feels that his team's chances will rest on their ability to knock down the kind of shots they did against the Red Devils.

"It's going to be a tall order for us, but if we shoot it well then we can make it a competitive game," Dunn said.