Vermilion controls second half, beats Huron

VERMILION — When push came to shove, Vermilion took control of a close game in the third quarter, going on a big run and never looking back in its 56-41 Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division victory over Huron on Friday. The Sailors (9-13, 3-7 SBC Bay), who trailed 22-20 at halftime, went on a 14-2 run to take a 34-24 lead in the early stages of the second half and led by no less than six points the rest of the way. That spurt saw Brock Myers and Luke Habermehl score four points apiece. Mason Cooper and Drake Hooks chipped in, each scoring three. With just under six minutes to play, Tigers guard Quentin Conway drained a 3-pointer, cutting the Huron deficit to 41-35. But, Myers scored twice inside for four points and Jerimiah Lopez hit a 3 to push the lead to 11 points, effectively ending the contest. The Sailors outscored Huron 35-19 in the second half. "I thought we were a little sluggish coming out," Vermilion coach Kurt Habermehl said. "What a great night it was honoring the hall of fame recipients. We were standing around for a little while before the game. In the second half, we turned up the heat and got some easy baskets out in transition." On the flip side, the Tigers (9-13, 3-7) missed too many open shots. Huron, which made seven 3s, shot made just 6-of-28 (21.4 percent) shots in the key. They went 6-of-14 from the charity stripe. "We had too many missed shots," Huron coach Toby Miller said. "Missing shots in the paint has plagued us all year. Vermilion was physical and I give them credit, We've got to make those (close) shots." Miller felt like his defense played pretty well. "Our defense was good," he said. "The score was a little more inflated because they got in the bonus in the fourth quarter. It puts stress on your defense when you turn it over or miss point-blank shots." The Tigers outscored the Sailors 16-9 in the second quarer to take a 22-20 lead into the half. Huron ended the first half on a 7-3 run, which included five points from Nixon Dike and Parker Schafer scoring on a drive. "Their athleticism hurt us in the first half," coach Habermehl said. "They're super athletic. I really like Quentin Conway. They outrebounded us by about seven or eight in the first half." Myers had a game-high 16 points, including 12 in the second half, and Cooper added 11 points. Dike led Huron with 14 points, Schafer scored 13 points and Conway chipped in with 11. Vermilion faces Bellevue on the road next Thursday in a Division IV tournament opener. "Obviously, we'll focus on Bellevue and watch film," coach Habermehl said. "We have to come out fast. If that doesn't happen, it will be a quick game. We have to start strong." The Tigers travel to Pemberville to play Eastwood next Friday in a Division V tournament game. The Eagles, who play in the Northern Buckeye Conference, are 14-7. Miller wants the focus for his team to be on how it can get better. "Practice on Monday is going to be about us," he said. "If we play like (we did tonight), we'll lose (on Friday). We've got to refine things." HURON (9-13, 3-7) Quentin Conway 3 2-4 11, Nixon Dike 5 0-2 14, Jack Raglow 0 1-2 1, Parker Schafer 6 1-4 13, Paul Murray 0 2-2 2. TOTALS 14 6-14 41 VERMILION (9-13, 3-7) Jeremiah Lopez 3 0-0 9, Brock Meyers 7 2-4 16, Adam Gerber 2 2-2 7, Mason Cooper 4 2-7 11, Luke Habermehl 3 0-0 6, Drake Hooks 2 2-4 7. TOTALS 21 8-17 56 Huron 6 16 9 10 — 41 Vermilion 11 9 17 18 — 56 Three-point goals: Huron 7 (Dike 4, Conway 3); Vermilion 6 (Lopez 3, Gerber, Cooper, Hooks)