Schools

Mentor Beats Shaker, Advances To Div. I State Semifinals

The third time proves to be the charm for the Mentor boys basketball team

Twice this season The Mentor boys basketball team squandered 17-point leads against Shaker Heights.

Not again. Not for a third time.

On Saturday Night, the Cardinals held onto their lead and won the Division I regional championship game against their rival.

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After losing 17-point leads in each of the regular-season meetings against the Raiders, Mentor jumped out at halftime by that exact number once again - coincidentally - and more than just held on in routing Shaker Heights, 76-56, at the Wolstein Center.

With the victory, the Cardinals (23-5) are headed to the state final four where they will play Columbus Northland on Friday afternoon at Value City Arena on the campus of Ohio State University.

It is the second time in program history they will play in a state semifinal, which they first did in 2010.

When Shaker Heights fell behind, the Raiders faithful had to hold out hope that it would be a repeat of the two regular-season wins over Mentor.

But it didn't happen.

“When we were up 17, somebody said it was an omen or something and I said I didn’t want to hear that stuff,” Mentor coach Bob Krizancic said. “When I look back on it now, and after we watched the tape of the Shaker games, I am almost glad we lost the first two. We learned a ton and grew as a basketball team from those games and that helped up tonight.

“At the start of the season we said it wasn’t about Shaker Heights or Huntington Prep or Garfield or any of the teams on our schedule. It was about us. … These guys have earned this. They have earned the right to go to Columbus. And I thought back to 2010 and when we went at Girard and there is nothing like it.”

Cardinals leaped ahead of Shaker Heights (20-7) midway through the first quarter and never let up.

Conner Krizancic (17 points) hit a pair of 3s in the first quarter, and Michael Gallagher and Kade McClure each added a triple as Mentor ran out to a 20-12 lead after 8 minutes of play.

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The Cardinals outscored the Raiders, 18-9, in the second quarter to lead by the very eerie number of 17 points, but that turned out to not be a problem at all in the second half.

“We were up 17 again, but this time we kept the pedal to the metal and kept pushing in the second half,” said junior Brandon Fritts, who finished with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and played a very physical game in the paint.

Senior point guard Jeff Foreman scored 14 points and dished out 7 assists. Caleb Potter hit two big 3s and finished with 13 for the Cardinals. McClure knocked down both of his attempts from beyond the arc, as Mentor made 12 of 23 from 3-point land on the night.

Mel Leach scored 15 points for Shaker Heights, Esa Ahmad added 13 and Rosel Hurley chipped in 11. Standout guard Kash Blackwell was limited to six points.

“I think this team plays as hard as any I have had and the last few games we have really come together defensively,” Krizancic said. “And our leadership and basketball intelligence has come a long way. We are where I thought we could be and I am proud of these young men.”

Conner Krizancic, who as in 8th grade when his brother Cole and the Cardinals last advanced to Columbus in 2010, said the feeling was indescribable.

“There is nothing like this feeling. It’s unbelievable,” Conner said. “I think we have the confidence right now as a team that we feel like if we play our game we can win it all.”


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