CLEVELAND, Ohio — As grand as hearing “the Hornets versus the Scarabs” sounds, its no stage play.
However, the event signifies an important girls basketball game where the victor takes home a trophy, motive going into the postseason and the title of being known as the city champions in Cleveland.
For the second straight year, East Tech (13-6) and John Hay (16-2) will meet for the Senate Athletic League Championship on Friday at the East Professional Center. The Scarabs edged John Hay, 62-40, for its third straight title last season.
But this year, the intensity has grown after the Hornets handed a 52-50 league loss to East Tech a few weeks ago and ended the Scarabs win streak since 2013.
“It’s going to be a good game,” said John Hay head coach Frederick Howery. “It is always hard to beat a team twice in the same season when they are closely matched. The John Hay Lady Hornets will give it everything they have. Should be a fun night. East Tech is a good team and I’m sure they’ll be ready to go since we broke their streak of wins a few weeks ago in the Senate.”
Sophomore Lauren Tere (22.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 5.5 spg) and senior Angel Cannon (13.7, 7.4 rpg) have been two keys for the Hornets leading the team in points and rebounds. Senior Devan Bolden (8.5 ppg, 4.9 spg) and Tere have been responsible for the distributing the ball combining for an average of seven assists.
As for East Tech, the group came into the season with more new players than returners after the departure of three Division I college signees.
“This game is really important because they want to continue a legacy that the girls in college have started,” East Tech coach Melvin Burke said. “John Hay has a very good team and Howery has done a good job coaching them up this year.”
Who will win the city championship?
Sophomore point guard Chardai Hill has stepped into the scoring role for East Tech averaging 24 ppg and hitting over 60 3-pointers. Senior point guard Lovie Hendon, who leads the team with four steals a game, is tied with Hill averaging five assists.
The paint has been protected by 6-foot-3 senior centers Kiaira Thompson and Tionna Barnes. Thompson leads the team with an average of three blocks. Keep an eye out for senior guard Diamond Jones who transferred from Akron East and a bench that Burke likes to utilize against opponents.
Both teams earned a spot in the city championship defeating league opponents John F. Kennedy and John Adams on Tuesday. Tipoff is at 5:45 p.m. followed by the boys game at 7:30 p.m.
See related: Division I (John Hay) and Division II (East Tech) girls basketball previews
Notable Top 25 games
– On Wednesday, top ranked Solon handed No. 24 Shaker Heights a 73-49 loss to extend its lead in the Greater Cleveland Conference. The loss was the first for Shaker Heights since the Classic in the Country over two weeks ago.
– Mentor’s three game win streak came to an end earlier this week after falling 43-36 to No. 3 Stow. Then two days later losing 41-40 to Greater Cleveland Conference opponent Euclid. The Cardinals will travel to No. 25 Strongsville for their next conference game.
– Maple Heights earned a 50-46 win against No. 10 Brush on Wednesday in a nonleague game. The loss for Brush broke an 11-game win streak, and gave Maple Heights’ its second win against a Top 25 team. The first was against Brush’s rival Eastlake North in the Western Reserve Conference. North is ranked 17th in the cleveland.com rankings. Brush, tied for fifth in the state, will travel to Eastlake North for key conference game on Saturday.
– St. Vincent St. Mary gave Elyria Catholic a scare sending Wednesday’s game into overtime. Tiffin signee Anna Santucci scored all three free throws after being fouled in the final second of the fourth quarter. The Panthers answered in overtime taking a 69-66 win. STVM will play Suburban League opponent No. 4 Twinsburg on Saturday.
Other notable games: No. 11 Archbishop Hoban avoided a sweep by Walsh Jesuit with a 67-65 win on Wednesday; No. 9 Berea-Midpark moved closer to the Southwestern Conference title with a 69-60 win at home against No. 12 Amherst; No. 21 Revere squeaked out a 49-44 win against Massillon Jackson; No. 22 Westlake dropped its fourth straight game falling 48-40 to conference rival North Olmsted; and Medina outscored No. 25 Strongsville, 47-32, for a conference victory.
Three reach 1,000-career points
Three players from around Northeast Ohio reached scoring 1,000 career points in the weekend.
– Senior Gabby White reached her 1,000 plateau leading North Royalton to a 58-40 win against Brecksville. The future U.S. Military Academy signee finished with a double-double of 25 points, 10 rebounds, to go along with 4 assists and 6 steals.
White also set an individual school record for most free-throws made in a game with 14.
New Story: Congratulations To Gabby White – 1,000 Points & More……. https://t.co/81oNy1ScY7 pic.twitter.com/4mqgzciAd2
— NRoyalton Athletics (@NRAthletics) January 30, 2017
– Junior Jade DuVal, only in her second season with Western Reserve Academy, scored her 1,000th career point becoming the first ever in the school’s history.
Last Saturday, DuVal came into the Pioneers game against Garrettsville Garfield two points shy of the milestone. DuVal is averaging 13.2 ppg.
Jade DuVal 5’11 Junior Reaches 1,000 Points WRA vs. J.A. Garfield-Garrettsville, Ohio: Watch the video https://t.co/VSxxf53atL pic.twitter.com/p1zXSb262i
— Jade and Jai DuVal (@duvalsisbball) January 29, 2017
– Junior Samantha Pirosko joined her assistant coach Samantha Blazetic and scoring leader Theresa Habat’s in the list of 1,000-point scorers at Eastlake North. Pirosko reached the milestone in a nonconference matchup against Maple Heights.
Pirosko leads the Rangers with over 18 points and 10 rebounds per game. With Pirosko increasing her scoring in the past few seasons, the junior has a chance to catch Habat’s record of 1,551 points set in 1994.
@piroskosammy surpasses 1,000 points for her career tonight! #HnH
