BAZIL, HARWOOD, BENCH EDGE BY HUDSON
By Dom DiPasqua/Staff Writer
Friday night, January 15, 2016
HUDSON – Jared Bazil scored a career-high 18 points. Dan Harwood tallied 17. And P.J. Austin and Danny Shirilla combined for 13 off the bench as Brecksville-Broadview Heights overcame a 12-point deficit midway through the second quarter to pull out a huge, 56-54, Suburban League National Division victory here this evening over the Explorers in front of a jacked up crowd at Buck Hyser Gym.
It was the Bees 10th consecutive win. And it puts them all alone in first place in the division halfway through the race.
“I’m proud of our guys. Guys stepped up. Guys just made plays,” said veteran BBHHS head coach Steve Mehalik. “I told the guys. The scouting report? Just throw it out the window and go out and make plays. This is a special group!”
Brecksville (11-1, 7-0 SL) got out to a quick 5-0 lead and then went cold. Much of that had to do with Hudson’s vaunted match-up zone defense. Meanwhile the hosts were torrid from the field as they staked an 18-12 lead at the quarter.
The Explorers (7-4, 3-3 SL) registered on a baseline inbound play from Spencer McClure to Zack Meder which gave them a 24-12 advantage with 4:57 remaining in the half. Mehalik took his second time out and the tide slowly began to turn.
Still trailing by ten, 29-19, with 2:00 to play before halftime the Bees Andrew Bruno finished off a 3-point play. And Shirilla took a charge on the defensive end. A little momentum? Yes. But Brecksville still trailed, 29-22, at the break.
Instant Energy
Austin, a long ball specialist with incredible athletic ability, caught fire in the third period. His three from the wing and subsequent steal and score got the Bees to within 37-34. Austin grabbed a defensive rebound and then came back at the other end to tie the tilt at 37. “I just got some looks and I took them,” Austin said. “They went in.”
The Explorers took a 39-37 lead into the final frame. But somehow they lost their compass. Bazil tied it at 39. Shirilla scored on a put back. 41-all. Shirilla then drove the baseline with authority giving Brecksville a 47-44 lead with 3:25 left to go in the well played ballgame.
Harwood drove, scored and was fouled. He sank the charity toss to open the gap to 50-46 with 1:14 remaining. Two Harwood free throws later the Bees had a 52-46 advantage with 50.9 on the clock.
Andrew Bruno nailed a pair of foul shots to make it 55-49 with :13 left. The final seconds were ragged. Brecksville had survived what might best be described as a brutal road test.
“Hudson is good. Holy cow! They are as physical as can be. Zack Meder is one of the best players I’ve seen in a long time,” Mehalik said.
Meder, a silky smooth 5-10 senior guard who came in averaging 21.5 points per game, scored a game-high 20. Isaac MacGillis, a slender 6-9 senior post, canned 13 (8 rebounds).
Big Game For Big Bazil
The Bees out-rebounded the taller Explorers, 21-15. Hudson committed 14 turnovers. Brecksville, which committed 7 in the first half, played a flawless second half. Taking outstanding care of the basketball. All this with senior point guard Dan Auble saddled with foul trouble for lengthy stretches of the game.
Bazil, a 6-6, 270-pound junior post who can run the floor, grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. “Bazil just dominated. Every game he keeps getting better and better. He went up against the biggest front line he is going to face all year. And I thought Jared just outplayed them. By himself he outplayed Hudson’s three-headed big guy monster,” said Mehalik.
“I always like going against big guys. But everybody did a great job,” Bazil said. “We knew Hudson was going to give us a good fight.”
The Score Book
Bruno scored five points and dealt a duo of assists. Brecksville’s lethal outside shooters; Dan Auble and Matt Dimitrijevs, scored only three points each. The Bees found a way to win this clash by taking it to the Explorers size inside. Bazil and Harwood combined for 35 or 62.5% of the teams total points.
Austin and Shirilla, both seniors, were simply outstanding off the bench. Austin ignited the guests in the third stanza. The steady and heady Shirilla registered a pair of clutch fourth frame buckets amid the tall timbers.
Clubhouse Chatter
“We don’t win this game without P.J.’s spark. He didn’t play that much in the first half, but he was ready to play in the second,” Mehalik said. “Danny Shirilla. The kid face guards Hudson’s best player and then turns around and defends a 6-7, 260-pound post player. The bottom line is you win with guys like Danny Shirilla.”
Harwood, a senior forward who scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half, including 9 in the fourth quarter, was active and aggressive at both ends.
“Auble was in foul trouble. We needed someone to step-up. And I felt that I had to step-up,” Harwood said. “In the second half we figured out how to back them down a little bit better and we attacked their zone. We didn’t take a lot of bad shots. And not turning the ball over in the second half really helped too.”
The Bees went unblemished through the first half of their maiden season in the Suburban League. Tonight they pulled one out in a hostile environment. And came back to do it against a very good basketball team. “We’ve played from behind this year. We knew we would come back,” said Harwood. “We’re a second half team. We can come back like that when we put our minds to it.”
Mehalik, who is enjoying the ride, would much rather the Bees have a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter than be faced with a 12-point deficit in the second. Things won’t get any easier the second time through the loop. “It’s a fun league. Great coaches. Great atmospheres,” said Mehalik. “Now the grind begins. We have a big target on our back. It’s going to be harder in the second half. But we’ll be good. These kids are special.”
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
BEES 12 10 15 19 = 56
EXPLORERS 18 11 10 15 = 54
STAT-O-MATIC:
BRECKSVILLE ….. The Bees went 14 of 18 from the free throw line for 77.7% and committed 7 turnovers.
HUDSON ….. The Explorers went 6 of 8 from the free throw line for 75% and committed 14 turnovers.
OFFICIALS:
Larry Reardon, Adrian Foster and Marv Hodges (a veteran group).
BEES STATISTICAL LEADERS:
SCORING ….. Bazil with 18 (career-high).
REBOUNDS ….. Bazil with 10.
STEALS ….. Bazil with 3.
ASSISTS ….. Harwood and Shirilla with 3 each.
BLOCKED SHOTS ….. Bazil with 2.
CHARGES TAKEN ….. Shirilla with 1.
STARTING LINE-UPS:
BRECKSVILLE: 4-Andrew Bruno, 10-Matt Dimitrijevs, 12-Dan Auble, 13-Dan Harwood, 31-Jared Bazil.
HUDSON: 3-Alex Beck, 5-Mike Piekarski, 12-Isaac MacGillis, 15-Zack Meder, 42-Dave O’Connor.
JUNIOR VARSITY GAME:
Brecksville-Broadview Heights ran its season-opening win streak to 12 with a hard fought 59-46 triumph over Hudson.
The Bees, who started out a little sluggish, responded after coach John Silva took a time out with his squad on top, 16-12, a minute into the second period. Brecksville opened up a 29-19 lead later in the quarter on a steal and score by freshman wing Kenny Ganley.
Beeville’s press gave the Explorers fits in the third stanza. The fourth was a seven-minute stretch of spurts by both clubs. Hudson narrowed the Bees margin to seven with 1:14 remaining. The visitors were able to pull away from there in what was their toughest test of the campaign.
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
BEES 14 15 15 15 = 59
EXPLORERS 08 11 10 17 = 46
BEE BUZZ:
Brecksville is now 4-1 away from the fabulous Bee Hive. It has been years since the Bees have won ten in a row. They are averaging 60.3 points per game and allowing 45.7. Jared Bazil’s previous career-high was 16. The big guy scored that at Medina Highland on December 27, 2014.
The Bees coaching staff wore smart looking white dry-fit coaching shirts with light gray trim. The name STU was stenciled in red on the back. It is in loving memory of former assistant coach Dave “Coach STU” Stuczynski who passed away in late October at the age of 53 due to complications of ALS.
Dan Harwood announced this week that he will attend The College of Wooster and play baseball for the Fighting Scots (1B/P). The Swarm made a mini road show appearance at Hudson. The Special K’s; seniors Kaylee Vadini, Kendall Brown and Katie Boehlefeld wouldn’t have missed this one.
The Bees freshmen team lost, 47-22, to a solid Explorers squad. The frosh kept with their post game tradition of going to Chipotle. Double steak. Double cheese. You know. They might just make it to a Chipotle in every Suburban League town. “My doctor won’t let me go to Chipotle,” said Brecksville fan Marina Corbo.
The Bees cheerleaders are already planning for Senior Night. That will be on Friday, February 19 when Hudson pays a visit to the Hive for the return engagement. Brecksville’s Marko Jakovljevic, a 6-7 junior post, explained the story about Serbian Christmas. “We don’t have Santa Claus. We have St. Nikolas. St. Nikolas brings presents on his feast day, which is December 19th. So we don’t get presents on December 25th or on Serbian Christmas, January 6th,” Marko explained.
Hudsons’ Ray “Buck” Hyser Gymnasium is a great place to watch a game. The Explorers student body showed up in huge numbers and they made some noise. The gym has an excellent sound system and public address announcer. The atmosphere was outstanding. The varsity contest was fantastic. It was what Friday night basketball in January is all about. This Suburban League thing is starting to take hold. “It felt like a conference game,” said BBHHS freshman player Thomas Green. “It reminded of those great games we used to have against Westlake.”
Several Lady Bees volleyball players who were in attendance; Jamie Rachek, Amber King and Emily Bouchahine, recalled a not so pleasant memory. The last time they were at Buck Hyser they left with a 15-13 loss to Massillon Jackson in a heartbreaking five-set classic in a Division I regional tournament final.
Jeff Brink is in his 12th season as head coach at Hudson. His team was a treat to watch play. The Explorers zone defense is a tough nut to crack. Their offense was a well-oiled machine. The defeat snapped a three-game winning streak.
FILLING IN THE BLANKS:
This week with mid-term exams was?
“Hard. But I’m glad the week ended with a game day. Plus I’m a senior and mid-terms don’t matter as much now.” – BBHHS cheerleader Jesse Houser.
The best thing about coming to Hudson tonight was?
“Feeling the excitement in the gym after the Bees great comeback.” – Sophomore Marina Corbo.
NEXT UP:
Brecksville started out a stretch of six of its next seven games on the road with a win tonight in Summit County. The multiple county road trip continues Tuesday night as the Bees play their first game ever in the City of Youngstown. Cardinal Mooney will roll out the welcome mat for a 6:00 junior varsity start and a 7:30 main event. There is no freshmen game.
“We’ve got some film on them. But didn’t get a lot because their season started really late. Mooney has a great program with a lot of tradition. They have some athletes,” said Steve Mehalik. “It’s going to be another game where we will face a test. It’s a Tuesday night on the road. And it could be in a playoff type atmosphere.”
“We have to keep doing what we’ve been doing and not turn the ball over,” Jared Bazil said. “If we take care of the basketball and rebound we should be fine the rest of the season.”
Mooney is located on Youngstown’s south side. The school is off Indianola Road between Market Street and South Avenue. Both are exits off of I-680. Head south to Indianola.
For tips on great Italian food in the Youngstown area consult John Shirilla. The south side is his old stomping grounds. All kidding aside, The MVR, located in the city’s Smoky Hollow neighborhood just east of the YSU campus, is a sure bet for a great pregame Italian meal. Full disclosure. This reporter is a Youngstown native.
See You At The Bee Hive!
To contact: Ddipa67834@aol.com.
Follow on Twitter: @beevillesports
Follow the Lady Bees, winners of three of their last five games, on the worldwide web at: beesbasketball.com.
Brecksville (3-11, 1-7 SL) plays at Twinsburg Saturday afternoon.
– 30 –