Boys Basketball: Bobcats Down Gremlins In Thriller (01/18/14)

What a difference a day makes. After struggling with their shooting in a 32-30 loss at Keystone, on Thursday, the Bobcat Basketball Team really hit their groove in a 60-55 home win over the Karns City Gremlins, on Friday. The Bobcats jumped out to a big lead, but the Gremlins came back and tied the game late, before a final surge lifted the Cats to victory.

The Cats scored well both from the outside and underneath. Clarion jumped out to a 14-4 lead after one quarter and led 31-20, at the half. After three periods, the Bobcats held a 44-39 edge. Both teams scored 16 points in the final stanza.

Two of the game’s key players Antonio Troese and Ellis Painter

Two of the game’s key players Antonio Troese and Ellis Painter

Four Bobcats scored in double figures. Antonio Troese led the way with 22 points, including 3 treys, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal. Taylor Smith had 11 points, including three from 3-point range, and three assists, Ellis Painter, who left with an ankle injury several minutes into the fourth period,  had 10 points and three assist and Brendan Miller scored 10 points and had 5 rebounds and an assist.

Levi Barger scored four points. Steven Smathers had 3 points, 8 rebounds and a steal.

The Gremlins had three players in double figures, David Olszak scored 15, Logan Moroney had 14 and Tyler Kepple had ten.

Coach Todd Smith said, “I’m as proud of this team, in this game, as any team I’ve ever coached. It was just a good win for us.

“We came out, especially after the rough night, last night shooting, at Keystone. And to come out and play like we did tonight. We had some adversity with some calls and we had Ellis go down with the ankle injury. And we just had other guys step up. That’s why you call it a team. We just did some really nice things tonight.

“It was fun seeing the crowd going crazy and getting into the game. That’s a big win for us because we’ve been behind with getting a late start with football and we’ve been working really hard to get our basketball legs. And our guys want to make the playoffs. So that was a really big win for us.”

The JV game went to the Gremlins, 32-17. Karns City jumped out to a 12-0 lead after one and they held a 17-4 lead at the half and a 26-17 lead at the three-quarter mark.

Reed Anthony led the Bobcat JVs, with four points. Ryan Anthony and Derek Lauer each scored three points. Ty Burford and Zach Hill each scored 2 points and Craig Kerr scored one.

Ethan Conto’s nine points led the Gremlin JVs. Dalton Callihan and Dominick Callihan each had six points.

The Bobcats will travel to Cranberry, on Monday.