Boys basketball: Medina Christian lose but learn against CVCA

MONTVILLE TWP. — The Medina Christian Academy boys basketball team went up four weight classes Tuesday night but took away valuable experience in a 76-47 loss to Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy.The Division VII Knights were fighting uphill from the opening tip against the D-III Royals (17-4), who have six seniors, including their entire starting five, while Medina Christian (12-9) has just two, only one of whom is a starter."That's a senior-laden team," Medina Christian coach Rob Walgate said. "Anytime in high school athletics when you have a senior-laden team that's filled with athletes, you're going to have success, and they're having a lot of success."The game started as one might think, as CVCA scored the first nine points, which prompted a Knights timeout with 5:44 left in the first quarter. The message in the huddle was calm and clear."We got punched in the mouth, and I wanted to make sure that our plan wasn't panic," Walgate said. "I wanted to stay calm and in control and make sure that all the guys knew I believed in them, because I do. We have a lot of talent on this team, and I believe that they can play with anyone they want to play with. I just wanted them to know that I believed in them and that we were going to be OK."On the ensuing possession, Medina Christian junior Preston Collins found senior Isaac Maletich for a 3-pointer. Then junior R.J. Walgate scored to make it 9-5, but the Royals bounced back with a 10-4 run to take a 19-9 lead after one quarter.The Knights didn't just go away, and at times they took the fight to the Royals, such as a 10-2 run in the second quarter that cut their deficit to three when R.J. Walgate rebounded his own miss and scored. He had seven points in the run, while senior Nick Malicoat knocked down a 3-pointer for three of his 11 points."I think we're a very resilient group," said R.J. Walgate, who led the Knights with 15 points and five blocked shots while adding five rebounds. "Sometimes it may not look like it in the way the score goes, but none of our kids ever quit and I think it speaks to the resiliency that we're always giving it 100%."Trailing by 11 at the half, the Knights came out and again took the fight to the Royals, as Walgate hit senior Sam Dorman on a back-door cut for a layup on the first possession. After four points by CVCA, Walgate hit a 3-pointer and layup to bring the Knights back to 39-31.The Royals then turned up the defensive pressure and forced the Knights into mistakes that they were able to convert ito points. CVCA outscored Medina Christian 37-16 the rest of the way, including a 17-3 run to end the third quarter.The game was a step up in competition from what the Knights will see when they begin the postseason against Lake Ridge Academy on Feb. 26,"What a way to get ready for the tournament," Rob Walgate said. "We have lots of positives to take out of it and some things to work on as well."The Knights know that when the tournament begins, they won't see a team with the size, speed and athleticism of CVCA. But that also prepares Medina Christian for what it hopes is a deep playoff run."Honestly, I would take a game like this over beating a team by 50 any day," said center Sam Dorman, who scored eight points and led the Knigths in rebounds with six and assists with three. "You don't get better from that. You just stay the same when you're doing that, and if anything, maybe your head gets a little too big. But with this, you stay humble and you realize you have to work."Contact Ryan Isley at sports@medina-gazette.com.CVCA 76, Medina Christian 47CVCA 19 16 21 20 — 76MEDINA CHRISTIAN 9 15 10 13 — 47CVCA — Brayden Harris 5-0-10, Anthony Collins 5-4-15, Charley Levak 6-2-14, Tyler Hysolli 4-0-9, Connor Gray 5-1-12, Chayce Brantley 1-0-2, Moses Bader 3-0-8, DonGino Bickley 0-0-0, Zac Anderson 0-0-0, Tyler Newberry 0-0-0, Breese Thomas 1-2-4, Vinnie Konopka 0-0-0, Liam McGinley 1-0-2, Tommy Kopec 0-0-0. TOTALS: 31-9-76.Medina Christian — Isaac Maletich 3-0-7, Maddox Tousley 2-0-4, Sam Dorman 2-4-8, Preston Collins 1-0-2, R.J. Walgate 6-1-15, Nick Malicoat 4-0-11, Jaxon Longsdorf 0-0-0, Troy Reidl 0-0-0, Ilan Brown 0-0-0, Caden Dyer 0-0-0, Austin Kishmarton 0-0-0, Adam Collier 0-0-0. TOTALS: 18-5-47.3-point goals — Bader 2, Collins, Gray, Hysolli, Malicoat 3, Walgate 2, Maletich. Rebounds — CVCA 35 (Hysolli, Gray 8), Medina Christian 25 (Dorman 6). Assists — CVCA 13 (Levak 4), Medina Christian 7 (Dorman 3). Records — CVCA (17-4), Medina Christian (12-9). Junior varsity — CVCA 58, Medina Christian 37 (MCA: Troy Reidl 14).