Boys basketball: Cloverleaf thumped by Ravenna

WESTFIELD TWP. — The bad news is the Cloverleaf boys basketball team was thumped by Ravenna 74-57 Thursday night in a Metro Athletic Conference game that was far closer to a running clock than interesting.The good news is the Colts are in the midst of an MLB-like schedule, playing three games in three nights that will continue this evening at Canton South (8-12).The other good news was Cloverleaf won the rebounding battle 37-26, a serious issue as of late. That was about it, though, in a certified clunker of a performance."Another game tomorrow," coach Lance Price said. "We have to get rid of this. We've got to turn it around. We've got to be better. No excuses."The reeling Colts (10-10, 6-8), who have lost four of their last five in ugly fashion, trailed the red-hot Ravens (13-8, 8-6) 20-8 after one quarter and 42-16 at halftime. Ravenna made 14 of its first 19 shots and was 25-for-37 (.676) through three quarters before Cloverleaf made a garbage-time rally to make the final score extremely misleading.Rangy MAC Player of the Year candidate C.J. Ross did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted with 12 of his 19 points before the Colts' Jimmy Tolley finally brought him back to earth with physical defense. No one could stop point guard Sean Jordan, however, as the curly-haired senior had team highs of 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists.The Ravens, who have won six straight by an average of 17.7 points, led 48-16 with 6:22 remaining in the third quarter. "They played very, very aggressive defense," said Price, whose team lost the first meeting only 58-54 on Dec. 10. "They had hands in each passing lane, and a couple of our guards didn't step up and make clean passes."Offensively, we were one shot and done. We didn't move the ball. It wasn't us tonight."Cloverleaf had a first half on par with a 17-point effort at Woodridge on Feb. 9 and 14-point showing last week at Streetsboro. The Colts made 5-of-27 field goals (.185), 0-of-11 3-pointers and 6-of-8 free throws while committing 15 turnovers, more than negating the noticeably improved rebounding after getting hammered in that category in recent games against Firelands and Highland.Isaac Smith entered play averaging 22.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 4.2 steals but was limited to seven points, three boards, four dimes and two steals, snapping a streak of 32 games with at least 10 points. Tolley was the only consistent Cloverleaf player with 13 points and eight rebounds, Justus Sohosky (9 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists) starred in the second half and freshman guard Zayne Trent scored 11 points in the fourth quarter.Jaden Thompson also played well in a senior night start with a free throw, three rebounds, a steal and a block in the first quarter before being subbed for Tolley. "Justus Sohosky and Jimmy Tolley played very, very well," Price said. "They played aggressive and got after it. It took them a little bit, but they were the leaders."All credit to Ravenna. They knew what to do. We just couldn't break a press. I hate this on senior night. The three seniors (Brody Adams, Jackson James, Thompson), I care about them so much."Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com.Ravenna 74, Cloverleaf 57RAVENNA 20 22 21 11 — 74CLOVERLEAF 8 8 20 21 — 57Ravenna — LaDarion Askew 2-2-6, C.J. Ross 9-0-19, Braylon Burks 2-0-4, Mason Scott 2-1-6, Sean Jordan 7-4-21, Ethan McKamey 2-0-4, Jerome Zaid Jr. 0-0-0, Amare Marshall 0-0-0, Blake Cutting 2-2-6, Juluis Maddox 0-0-0, Ziare Sanders 3-0-8. TOTALS: 29-9-74.Cloverleaf — Brody Adams 0-3-3, Jackson James 1-0-2, Jaden Thompson 1-1-3, Isaac Smith 2-3-7, Kellen Price 1-0-2, Jimmy Tolley 6-1-13, Justus Sohosky 3-2-9, Damien Reed 0-0-0, Owen Brownson 2-0-4, Zayne Trent 4-1-11, Vincent Hinderman 1-0-2, Reed Kilgore 0-1-1, Matthew Jenkins 0-0-0. TOTALS: 21-12-57.3-point goals — Jordan 3, Sanders 2, Ross, Scott, Trent 2, Sohosky. Rebounds — Ravenna 26 (Jordan 8), Cloverleaf 37 (Sohosky 9). Assists — Ravenna 19 (Ross 5), Cloverleaf 11 (Sohosky, Smith 4). Records — Ravenna (13-8, 8-6), Cloverleaf (10-10, 6-8). Junior varsity — Cloverleaf 57, Ravenna 46 (C: Logan Jenkins 21).