GALION — Galion used a quick start to hold off Crestline on Wednesday evening at Galion High School. An 18-5 start to the game helped the Tigers down the Bulldogs, 52-39.
The Tigers (6-6, 3-4 Mid Ohio Athletic Conference) jumped out to the fast start as mentioned, leading 18-5 after a quarter of play. Jack Hart connected on a pair of triples, then Elijah Chafin and Cooper Kent each added two buckets to get things off and running.
Crestline (2-6, 2-4 Mid-Buckeye) played a much more even second quarter. Jake Bruce scored eight points in the quarter alone, while Trevor Shade added two three-pointers. The Bulldogs trailed Galion at halftime, 34-19. Galion’s leading scorer, Kent, added eight points in the second quarter.
“They wanted to keep it in the 40s, and I thought we did a really good job of trying to speed them up in the first half,” said Galion head coach Ryan Stover.
Kent would finish with a game-high 14 points for Galion on Wednesday. Chafin added 10 points, while Jackson Hart pitched in eight, and Braylen Hart contributed seven.
“I didn’t think we played that bad in the first (half),” said Crestline head coach Tyler Sanders. “We were trying to spread the floor on them like they love to go up and down they’re so incredibly fast. Kent and Chafin are incredible shooters. They have dudes around them that can shoot the ball.”
Galion came out in the third quarter and continued their scoring ways. Six different players scored for the Tigers in the third quarter to carry a 50-31 lead into the final quarter. Isaiah Perry had eight points for Crestline in the quarter to keep them in it.
Crestline was able to hold the Tigers to just one basket in the final quarter of play, but the offense didn’t have enough in the tank.
“We got careless there, especially in the fourth quarter we got real careless with the basketball,” explained Stover. “We only put up two points.”
Shade finished with 14 points to lead the Bulldogs, while Perry and Bruce each scored 10.
“That’s two in a row for us, so we’ll take it and we’ll move on. We have a tough river Valley team on Friday,” said Stover.
Galion will travel to take on River Valley on Friday, while Crestline will host St. Peter’s.
