Eastwood’s Cam Schumaker attempts a shot over Genoa’s Myles Mollenhauer during Friday’s game. (Nicholas Huenefeld | Sentinel-Tribune)
By Nicholas Huenefeld
Special to the Sentinel-Tribune
GENOA —- It was a tough night for the Eastwood boys basketball team as undefeated Genoa scored the game’s first nine points, led 22-6 through one, and ultimately produced a 77-46 win inside the Impact Zone Friday night.
“Give Genoa a lot of credit,” Eastwood coach Michael Flipse said. “They are as good as people think they are. They’re a complete team. They’re very well-coached defensively, and our guys struggled. We had a rough start, and then from there, we responded at times, but we just weren’t big enough.”
The Comets (13-0 overall, 7-0 NBC) were led by the duo of Ryan Routson and Walter Plantz, who had 20 and 17 points, respectively. They also combined to make 18-of-22 from the free throw line as Genoa finished 21-of-29 as a team.
The Eagles got a team-best 11 points each from Drew Luidhardt and Cam Schumaker, while Ben Buehler (9) and Brayden Luidhardt (7) combined for 16.
While Schumaker scored seven of his points in the second quarter, Drew Luidhardt had 10 of his in the third quarter, and Flipse was pleased with his point guard’s play.
“He had a good game for the most part,” he said. “He was playing hard the entire time. He was playing a little bit desperate, and we need that from all five guys on the court.”
Genoa opened the game with nine straight, capped by a three-point play from Jacob Woollard just 2:18 into the contest.
Brayden Luidhardt responded with a tough shot down low off the glass, and he completed the three-point play for Eastwood’s first points. Genoa scored eight of the next nine points with each one coming from the foul line.
In fact, the Comets attacked the glass in transition all night. Jax Magnone added 13 points, while Myles Mollenhauer had nine, and Woollard totaled seven.
“The most disappointing thing was their transition points, if I’m being honest,” Flipse said. “We harped about it throughout the week. We talked about it at halftime. I thought we did play a solid four or five minutes there in the third quarter, and I am proud of my guys for their effort and how we played tonight. But, I mean, we could be a lot better, and if we’re not against a team like that, it’s going to show.”
The Eagles (6-5 overall, 3-3 NBC) got going a bit more offensively to begin the second quarter as Buehler drilled a wing 3-pointer, and Schumaker converted a three-point play, but Genoa matched that production and eventually led 39-17 at the break, which included a two-handed dunk from Ty Asman just before the buzzer.
Eastwood also started strong in the third quarter, getting 11 points in less than four minutes, with five points from Drew Luidhardt and four from Schumaker.
The Comets, however reeled off 12 straight to take a 58-28 lead with 2:15 left in the quarter and never looked back.