Ravenna Ravens boys’ basketball Coach Justin Rahim has emphasized that his team not just play with a physical edge but also a mental edge. The Ravens achieved that goal when they used a late run to pull away from Metro Athletic Conference rival Akron Coventry 53-47 last Saturday afternoon at their James L. Coll Gymnasium.
“I told the guys before the game that they played defense and were a tough, physical well-coached team so we had to be physically tough and mentally tough,” said the first-year coach. “Hats off to Coventry, they are a very well-coached team, and they play hard. I knew we were going to have to play a little bit harder to secure a victory.”
Although it is still early in the season, Ravenna (3-3, 2-3) is just one win away from matching the number of league victories it recorded last year and snapped a four-game losing streak against the Comets, with its last victory against its league rival coming in the 2022-23 season.
On Saturday, it was a physical battle between the league rivals as they were deadlocked at 40-40 in the fourth period.
In a contest that had been ruled by aggressive defense, the Ravens delivered the decisive final run as they went on a 5-0 surge to take a 45-40 lead, was ignited when Comets’ Coach Larry Taylor was issued a technical foul at the 6:07 mark of the final period.
Senior forward C.J. Ross split a pair of free throws, followed by junior guard Mark Miller making a lay-up off an assist from senior forward Braylon Burks and then Burks converted a field goal in the paint off an assist from Ross.
According to Rahim, Ravenna just needed the smallest spark to engineer one last run and they received it in the form of a technical foul by Akron Coventry’s Coach.
“That turned the corner a little bit for us,” he noted. “I am trying to get these guys to understand that you must be physically prepared for the game as well as mentally. Sometimes shots aren’t falling but you can’t let that dictate how hard you play and how physical you play, and I knew it was going to be a mental game.”
The Ravens’ aggressive defense had frustrated Akron Coventry throughout the game and continued doing so in the final minutes, as the Comets only made two field goals and were forced to foul Ravenna to be earn extra possessions, but the Ravens shot seven-of-11 from the free throw line in the final quarter to seal the victory.
Rahim praised Ravenna for playing stout defense throughout the game and their mental resolve for not letting the Comets impose their physical will.
Ross, who scored 15 points, grabbed two rebounds, and dished out six assists, said that the Ravens are putting Rahim’s words into action, by adopting a physical style of play.
“Every game Coach Rahim tells us to play with the Ravenna spirit,” he added. “When you come to The Nest, you are going to have a hard game no matter whether you are trying to make a shot or grab rebounds. We will make it tough.”
The Comets threatened to seize control at the start of the game when they took a 9-5 lead, sparked by some early offense from junior small forward C.J. Ross, who scored 10 points in the first period.
Ravenna stemmed the tied and stormed back on 8-1 run, keyed by some timely shooting from beyond the arc as it made a pair of 3-point shots to capture momentum.
Ravenna ultimately knocked down four 3-point shots in the first half to keep pace with the Comets.
Ravenna’s Ross credited the Ravens as a team for making a concerted effort to improve their outside shooting after a less than stellar showing last season.
“We have been working on the shooting machine, getting our 3-point shots up,” the Ravens’ senior forward noted. “Last year I feel like we were not as good of a shooting team and this year, I feel that everybody can knock down a three at any given time.”
In addition to shooting the ball well from long range, Ross also sparked the Ravens’ offense with some timely passing as he drew the defensive attention into the paint, freeing up open shots for his teammates.
“In the losses we had, C.J. had great offensive outbursts but we lost those games,” Rahim said. “In the games that we have won, he still had the ability to put points on the scoreboard, but he did other things as far as rebounds and getting other guys involved.”
Ravenna will return after the Christmas holiday and welcome MAC foe and Portage County rival Kent Roosevelt to its James L. Coll Gymnasium on Friday evening at 7 p.m.
