GALION — Galion opened up their season with an impressive win against Upper Sandusky. The Tigers held off the Rams, 72-63 at home. What a difference a year can make, as Upper Sandusky defeated the Tigers last year, 79-41.
The Tigers have an impressive scoring duo and they showed it in their very first game. Juniors Elijah Chafin, and Cooper Kent scored 22 and 20 points apiece to start the season.
“We move the basketball and we have two very good players in Chafin and Kent who can score and light it up,” Galion head coach Ryan Stover explained after the game. “Everyone else was a supporting role, we executed offensively how we were supposed to.”
Parker Brown was the high man for the Rams (0-2), going for 16 points. Holden Dorris chipped in 12 points, while Levi Lamb and Ethan Kessler each had 10.
This one began with plenty of offense. These two squads combined for seven triples in the first quarter alone. After a period of play, Upper Sandusky led Galion 20-17. Daris was able to put in six points to start things for the Rams. Chafin scored seven points for the Tigers early on.
Galion was able to hold the Rams to 12 points in the second quarter, taking a 34-32 lead into the break. Kent was fouled on a three-pointer, then proceeded to knock down all three free throws. That was just the start of a nice quarter for the Tigers. Defensive pressure by Jackson Hart, Steven Glew, and Chafin was a factor in the second quarter.
“Defensively we wanted to play more physically,” Stover said after the game. “I thought in the first quarter we gave them too much easy access. We didn’t close out properly. In the second quarter, we sat down and played defense.”
The Tigers went on a 7-0 run after the Rams scored the first points of the second half, to push it to 41-34. Hart found an open shot at the rim, then Glew banged home a corner three-pointer to start the quarter hot.
“That corner three is his shot. Every time he is there we tell him to hit it, and he’ll knock it down,” Stover said of Glew.
Galion led by as many as eight in the third quarter, but Upper Sandusky was able to fight back to make it 54-50 after three-quarters of play.
Upper Sandusky tied it at 54-all on a Brown basket to force a Galion timeout at the 6:35 mark. Glew and Chafin both hit a pair of big baskets to help Galion take a late 64-61 lead. Brown fouled out for the Rams at the 2:28 mark.
The Tigers were able to close it out with church free throws. Chafin was 8-for-8 from the line in the final quarter to finish things.
Glew chipped in 10 points for the Tigers, which all came in the second half. Hart finished with seven points, and sophomore Quinn Miller added five.
Galion finished with eight three-pointers, while the Rams knocked in seven.
The Tigers will open up Mid-Ohio Atheltic Conference play on Friday when Marion Harding comes to town.
