ROCKY RIVER,
Ohio -- Shooting misfires and too many turnovers were costly against a team
that forces many a misfire and plenty of turnovers. That was the case,
particularly in the first half of action, as Rocky River lost to Fairview,
64-48, on Friday night.
Rocky River
(10-9, 8-7 Great Lakes Conference) shot 21.4% (3-of-14) from the floor in a
first period that saw the talented Warriors bolt to a 20-6 advantage on the
Rocky River Gymnasium scoreboard. The Pirates -- with help from a ball-hawking
Fairview defense -- then committed a turnover in nearly a third of their
possessions in a second stanza which witnessed the visiting five extend its
lead. By halftime, Fairview (16-4, 12-3) had built a 38-15 cushion.
The Warriors
were hands-quick on defense, disrupting passing lanes and thwarting any attempt
for River to find a rhythm. Senior guard Luke Howes scored 23 points in the
game, and it’s debatable which end of the floor he impacted most. Howes had
four steals in the game, but he affected countless Pirate possessions. The
Warriors finished as a plus-2 in turnovers, committing 12 to Rocky River's 14.
But by the mid-third when the game became more of a bench-depth affair, the
advantage was wider than that.
The Pirates
did manage to outscore the Warriors, 19-14, in the third and 14-13 in the
fourth.
For the
game, Howes got his 23 on 10-of-12 shooting from the floor. That included a
3-of-4 performance from beyond the 3-point arc. The athletic senior also had
eight rebounds and six assists. Fellow senior Martin Lowry had 16 points on
7-of-9 shooting. Fairview shot 55.8% (24-of-41) as a team and connected on
41.2% (seven) of 17 efforts from distance.
Senior guard
Tommy Ruma led the Sons of Blackbeard with 19 points. Sophomore forward Tommy
Bebie added 12 points and six boards.
The Pirates
shot 34.5% (19-of-55) from the field.
Rocky River
will close out its 2019-20 GLC slate with a home game against Parma on Tuesday
(7:30 p.m. start time).
CANNON FIRE …
GLASS HALF FULL: For a third straight game, River was strong on the offensive glass. The Pirates had nine offensive rebounds in out-boarding the Warriors, 32-28, overall. Sophomore forward Robby Lang had a six-point, seven-round night for the home five. Five of Lang’s rebounds were on the offensive glass. Rocky River has averaged 10 offensive rebounds per game over its last thee. Junior forward Charlie Hudson, who missed Friday’s game due to injury, is River’s leading producer on the offensive boards. Thirty of Hudson’s 85 rebounds this season have kept offensive possessions alive.
2020 MAN: Tommy Ruma averaged 12.6 points per game through the end of December. He’s averaged 18.5 points per contest since the calendar flipped to the new year.
by Skip Snow
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