ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- The Pirates were ice-cold from distance, and their opponents were red-hot, as Rocky River dropped a 74-45 game to Holy Name on Tuesday night.
In a game where the Maroon & White could have found good use for an extra 33 points, Rocky River (8-7, 6-5 Great Lakes Conference) was outscored, 33-0, in 20-foot increments. The Green Wave went a robust 11-of-22 from beyond the 3-point arc while the Pirates went 0-for-15.
A staunch Holy Name defense held River to a 39% mark on its 2-point attempts. The Pirates shot 28.6% from the floor in all, marking the second time in three games they have been held under 30%.
Senior guard Quentin Richardson helped the Green Wave break free from an early 5-5 tie. Over a six-minute stretch -- encompassing the tail end of the first quarter and the early minutes of the second -- Holy Name outscored Rocky River 13-2. A low-scoring first half ended with the visiting five in front, 26-15.
Holy Name went on an 11-6 run in the front half of the third, but the Pirates countered. First with a steal and an assist on a Braedon Spies bucket and then with his own basket, Jack Schill capped off a 10-2 surge for the Pirates. At the 1:04-mark of the third, Rocky River trailed by eight (39-31). But Holy Name scored the final six points of the third.
The fourth quarter was an endgame march to the eventual 27-point win for the Green Wave which avenged a 55-54 River win in Parma Heights on Dec. 13.
Richardson finished the game 6-of-8 from 3-point range in piling up 31 points. As a team, Holy Name shot 49.1% (27-of-55) from the field. The Green Wave was a plus-10 in rebounding margin (40-30). Led by Tony Carter's nine boards, three Holy Name players logged six or more rebounds.
On offense, River got 10 points apiece by Spies, Tommy Bebie, and Tommy Ruma. Charlie Hudson added nine. Bebie also had six rebounds and three steals.
Tuesday's final result marked Rocky River's widest deficit in a loss since Jan. 9, 2018 (105-77 loss at Holy Name) and its widest in a home loss since Jan. 31, 2017 (79-43 vs. Bay).
River will tangle with the Bay Rockets in the team's next game, which will be on the road. That one is slated for a 7:30 p.m. tip on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
by Skip Snow
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