Streaks hand Pirates first loss, pull into tie atop Lake

SANDUSKY — Sandusky defended its home court at the Big House on Friday. The Blue Streaks were content to play a half-court game and grind out a huge 46-42 win over rival Perkins, keeping their hopes alive to win a fifth straight Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division title. Sandusky improved to 10-7 overall and 6-1 in the Lake while Div. IV No. 3 Perkins suffered its first loss of the season, dropping to 15-1, 6-1. "It was a great team win. When we play like that, we're a pretty good team," Sandusky coach DeMar Moore said. "It wasn't the prettiest game in the world. Sometimes you have to have those ugly games. Our guys did a really good job in the fourth quarter of maintaining our lead and playing with some composure and taking care of the ball." Sandusky committed more turnovers than Perkins, 16-10, and made only one 3-point shot, but its defense and rebounding were the difference. "They played a tough, physical game. They made the plays down the stretch," Perkins coach Andy Hoying said. "They got the rebounds, finished at the rim, and knocked down free throws. That was the difference. "The first game (a 75-59 Perkins win on Dec. 19), we had a great offensive game. This time we didn't finish at the rim; shots weren't falling. We didn't get a lot of great looks." There were eight lead changes to keep a capacity crowd entertained despite the slower pace. The last one came when Sandusky's Camrion Jones hit a 3-pointer from the right wing to give the Streaks a 38-36 lead with 2:29 to play. Jones scored seven of his game-high 15 points in the fourth quarter. "We've been on Cam's case all week," Moore said. "The first time we played Perkins, I don't think he scored at all. If he's not scoring the ball, we're not very good. He responded very well and has stepped up to all the challenges we gave him." Sandusky's defense limited Perkins to 34 percent shooting from the field (17 for 50) and limited the Pirates to 15 total points in the middle two quarters. Anthony Redding, a 6-foot-6 senior, anchored the Streaks' defense. He finished with eight rebounds and four blocked shots. "Coach Moore wanted me to use my length," Redding said. "I'm a tall guy, and with my wingspan, I'm even taller. I got the boards and blocked shots. Shoutout to Coach Moore for believing in me." Redding also had four points, with the last two being the biggest of the game. After Sandusky took a 42-40 lead with 1:05 to play on two Ahmaj Woolfork free throws, Redding made a steal near half court. He went up for a dunk but had to change his approach when Perkins' Bryce Davie got in his way. "I went under him and grabbed it," Redding said. "I was really trying to dunk it, but 10 hustled, as he should. Two points is two points. "We came in with energy, and we didn't want to lose at home. In the SBCs, we want a 5-piece, so we came in here and handled business." Added Moore: "Scooter did a heckuva job of controlling the paint. Every shot they had in the lane was tough because he was down there contesting shots." Dale Johnson added 12 points for Sandusky, which is off for a week before hosting Columbian next Friday. Levi Groot led Perkins with 10 points. The Pirates took a 12-8 lead with a 9-0 run and extended it to 19-12 on a Grant Kuhnle 3-pointer. Sandusky answered with a 12-0 run and regained the lead at 20-19 on Johnson's putback. Sandusky committed three turnovers on its first three possessions of the second half, and two Davie buckets gave Perkins a 27-24 lead. Sandusky took a 28-27 lead on Jones' steal and layup before Perkins pulled ahead 36-35 on a Kellen Glass bucket that hung on the rim for a second before dropping. Each possession seemed to be magnified because of the slower-than-expected pace. "It turned into a more deliberate game. We weren't necessarily trying to do that; it's just kind of how it ended up," Hoying said. "They pushed us out of our stuff. A couple of times we tied it up late. I felt like we never got over the hump. We needed to get up a couple of buckets, and it just didn't happen." Sandusky committed just one turnover in the fourth quarter. "That's something we've been working on because we know a lot of teams like to slow it down on us, and we have a tendency to play fast and throw the ball all over the gym," Moore said. "We've been working on the half-court game and executing, and tonight we did a heckuva job executing down the stretch." Jones added a pair of late free throws, one coming after a collision with Davie. "This game was huge. From here on out, it's up to us," Moore said. "We determine where we go from here. We like to be in the driver's seat. "It was a great atmosphere, a great crowd. It was good for the kids to play in this environment. Our kids did a good job of maintaining their composure and playing under control." PERKINS (15-1, 6-1) Kellen Glass 4 0-0 8, Sam Schweinfurth 0 2-2 2, Kash Koch 0 0-0 0, Bryce Davie 2 2-2 6, Levi Groot 4 0-0 10, Kaden Legando 4 0-0 8, Grant Kuhnle 4 0-0 8. TOTALS 17 4-4 42 SANDUSKY (10-7, 6-1) Anthony Redding 2 0-0 4, Dale Johnson 6 0-0 12, Ta'Varieon Myers 1 0-0 2, Ahmaj Woolfork 1 4-4 6, Camrion Jones 6 2-4 15, Kymirr Hunter 2 3-4 7. TOTALS 18 9-11 46 Perkins 14 9 6 13 — 42 Sandusky 10 14 8 14 — 46 Three-point goals: Perkins 4 (Groot 2, Kuhnle 2); Sandusky 1 (Jones)