The Ravenna Raven boys’ basketball team needed a quick start against the Marlington Dukes and they delivered in the first quarter. But the Ravens could not maintain their intensity and lost 63-50 against the Dukes last Friday afternoon at Mount Union University in Alliance.
“Toward the end of the game we missed some assignments on the defensive end and were not able to get any backside help,” said Coach Marlon Jones. “They got a lot of easy buckets off of our mishaps on the defensive end and ended up playing better down the stretch.”
Although Marlington was fueled by a big second quarter to score 28 points at the half, Ravenna (3-4, 2-3) still held a 29-28 lead by matching the Dukes’ offensive outburst with 15 points in the second quarter.
The Ravens were sparked by junior guard Bryant Thompson, who scored ten points in the second quarter to help Ravenna keep pace with the Dukes.
Already one of the Ravens’ better defenders, the junior guard ignited his team in the second quarter to help withstand a big run by Marlington.
“He was a big help,” said Ravenna’s fourth-year coach. “He is a big guard. He rebounds, assists, and scores when the defense gives him an opportunity to and he facilitates. He is one of those players that you have to have on the floor. He makes good decisions and puts himself in a position to be successful and get his teammates involved. That is something he always prides himself on.”
Ravenna’s momentum faded in the third quarter, only making four field goals and were outscored by a 13-8 margin. According to Jones, Ravenna’s turnovers were costly and resulted in an 8-0 run by the Dukes.
After a quiet second quarter, Marlington freshman guard Cameron Evanich dominated in the third period, scoring 11 points to spur the Dukes to a 41-38 advantage at the end of the quarter.
“He is a very good player,” said Jones. “In the first two quarters we did a decent job on him and then he just started doing it all by rebounding and playing defense, scoring and assisting.
In addition to the turnovers, Jones said the Ravens missed several offensive assignments and his players could not get past the Marlington defenders and their offensive struggles continued in the fourth quarter.
After making four 3-point shots in the first period, the Ravens only made two in the second half. Ravenna attacked the basket but only recorded four field goals in the fourth quarter.
They converted five-of-six free throws but it was not enough to withstand Marlington’s balanced offense, resulting in their fourth loss in the last five games.
“I just kept telling those guys to keep moving the ball and keep working it,” Jones added. “We got it in the middle, we squared up, we looked and had different options when we got there and did not pass up an open shot or a good look. They did all of those things and got the looks we expected to get but they just did not fall and that is part of the game and we understand that.”
Jones acknowledged that Marlington’s depth was too much for the Ravens to overcome. He added the Ravens are searching for new depth after graduating nine seniors, giving Jones his youngest squad since becoming Ravenna’s head coach.
The nine seniors who left all received significant varsity action last year, propelling the Ravens to the Metro Athletic Conference championship. Ravenna now fields a squad where no player saw much varsity action last season.
“When I say they are young, I mean they do not have a lot of varsity experience and understanding of the game’s speed,” Jones said. “But they are a very good group and a very good team. They work hard every day and come prepared and ready to go to war.”
Jones said that despite Ravenna’s youth, the team is still motivated to build off what the nine seniors left behind. He also noted that the culture established by last year’s senior class still resonates with his current squad.
“It is a relationship and a bond that will never be broken so even the kids from four years ago when we first took over the program, they all come back and they all talk and we get an opportunity to explain how it was when they were coming through under the program,” he said.
Following a home contest against Portage County rival Kent Roosevelt on Wednesday evening, the Ravens will travel to face neighborhood rival Southeast on Friday night at 6:45 p.m. in Ravenna.
