In the midst of a three-game losing streak, the Garfield G-Men boys’ basketball team had gotten away from their offensive identity. The G-Men halted their losing skid when the offense woke up in the second half to beat Portage County and Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Grey Tier rival Ravenna Southeast 71-48 last Friday evening at the JAG Fieldhouse.
“It was definitely nice to get back in the win column,” said Coach Andy Olesky. “We were hoping to get it last Tuesday but obviously with the cold day, we were not able to do that so it was nice to get back in the win column. Any time you get a win it is nice.”
The rivalry with the Pirates has always been one that Garfield (10-4, 5-2) has taken seriously given the Portage County nature of the rivalry, which can be traced back to when they both belonged to the Portage Trail Conference. The rivalry has now been amplified, with this year marking the first season that Southeast has become a member of the MVAC Grey Tier.
According to the 12-year coach, now that the teams are once again conference foes in addition to being Portage County rivals, it has added a fun new dimension to their annual meetings.
“It is a nice double-edged sword,” he noted. “A league opponent as well as a Portage County opponent, it is fun because our crowds are exponentially bigger as well. There is a nice buzz in the atmosphere and there is a nice crowd in the stands, and they were loud and into the game which is exciting.”
The last time the teams clashed, the G-Men earned a decisive 83-45 victory in their first meeting as MVAC Grey Tier foes. The rematch had Garfield coming in on a slide, owning a three-game losing streak. Olesky said that one of the G-Men’s biggest problems was that they were not getting to their usual spots on offense, putting them on the wrong end of some lopsided defeats in the previous two contests.
Clinging to a 23-18 lead heading into the half, the G-Men’s defense was proving to be stout, surrendering only five points in the second quarter, including holding sophomore guard Cohen Richardson scoreless after tallying nine points in the first quarter.
Despite a promising defensive first half, Garfield’s offense was still not in full swing.
The G-Men came alive in the third quarter as they started dictating the pace of the game and finally got to their spots and connected on some long-range shots. Senior guard Preston Gedeon caught fire, burying three 3-point shots in a quarter when the team combined to knock down five shots from beyond the arc.
“You give the credit to Preston because when Preston’s feet are set and Preston is in rhythm, Preston is a tremendous shooter when it is in the flow of our offense,” Olesky said. “Preston made the shots and Preston had a huge 3-point play in the second half that started the run and ignited us.”
Gedeon paced Garfield with 24 points, including knocking down five 3-point shots.
Olesky said that the ball movement was crisp and once the G-Men finally hit some shots, the offense started to resemble the same offense that launched the team to a 10-1 start in the first half of the season.
As well as Garfield executed on the offensive end, its lead was only 46-41 at the end of the third quarter. The G-Men enjoyed an offensive outburst in the fourth period, going on a 19-0 run that increased its lead to 65-41 to assume complete control.
“We were able to play our brand and do what we wanted to do,” Olesky said. “We did not get that the last few games and it is what it is, but we are moving on. The beginning of that fourth quarter was the beginning of a 19-0 run. It is what we want to do, and it is fun to see the kids succeed and see them smiling and showing that emotion and play basketball.”
The G-Men made a strong defensive stand in the final quarter, allowing Southeast to score only seven points to sweep the season series and secure a pivotal MVAC Grey Tier victory.
After losing its last two league games to fall to second place in the standings, Olesky acknowledged it was a crucial league win to keep the G-Men in the hunt for the MVAC Grey Tier championship.
Following a home contest against MVAC Grey Tier rival Liberty on Tuesday night, the G-Men will hit the road and take on league foe Newton Falls on Friday evening at 7:00pm
