High School Sports

Cadets Upend Shamrocks

BARNESVILLE -- Linsly came out on fire Wednesday night against Barnesville.

It finished white hot.

The Cadets used an early 13-0 run and a 19-5 spurt late as bookends in a 77-54 triumph against the Shamrocks in a highly anticipated OVAC Class 3A boys' basketball clash inside a jam-packed Greenhouse.

Marshall Taylor scored 21 points and Trevin Tush added 16 as Linsly overcame a sensational 30-point performance from Shamrocks senior Luke Powell. The All-Ohioan didn't score in the first, had two points in the second, but torched the nets for 28 second-half points.

It wasn't enough, however, as seven 3s helped ignite a 36-point half for the Cadets, one that saw them jump out of the gates strong.

Taylor hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start the game, a sign of what was to come from a Cadets offense looking to exploit holes in Barnesville's zone.

"They run a matchup zone and I felt we needed to get movement against that," first-year Linsly coach Dave Wojcik said. "We were just trying to move and cause a little bit of confusion for them. We got some open shots for Marshall and he knocked them down early."

Both teams combined to stage a 3-point clinic in the early going, each connecting on three as the score was deadlocked at 9-9 midway through the first. But the Cadets (7-3) scored the final five points of the period, then the first eight of the second, building a 13-point cushion that eventually ballooned to 18 at halftime.

Along the way, Linsly stymied the Shamrocks' offense -- and Powell -- who couldn't get a shot to fall, just like his teammates.

"Give them credit," Barnesville coach Matt Johnson said. "They pretty much dominated and did what they wanted to do and made us play a certain way.

"Obviously, our shots weren't falling and, when that happens, along with everyone else in the valley, I'm sure nothing looks good.

"(Linsly) played a heckuva game."

Barnesville (10-2) was again without the services of Kason Powell. Powell missed Tuesday night's victory at Steubenville Catholic with a sprained ankle sustained in practice Monday. Johnson was uncertain on a timetable for his return, but his loss puts a crimp in a lineup that was starting to get healthy.

"We're a different team without him," he said. "The sad thing is, our kids were just now starting to find their roles. Now, with him gone, they have to find new roles."

Luke Powell's role in the third quarter was to lead his team back. That's what the West Liberty signee did, scoring all 15 of Barnesville's points as the Shamrocks trimmed their deficit to seven near the end of period. He stands 11 points of 2,000 for his career.

"We knew they were going to make a run," Wojcik said. "We started trying to dribble through the press instead of passing over the press. We did that later in the game again and were able to get some easy baskets."

A 7-0 Linsly run that moved into the fourth put the Cadets up 14, but Barnesville clawed back to nine (54-45) midway through the fourth on a Jeremy Hunkler layup.

Later, after Luke Powell made a pair of free throws, making the score 58-49, Barnesville turned the ball over and Hunter Kelley scored at the other end. That sparked a game-ending Linsly charge.

"We get (the score) to six or seven then we have momentum on our side," Johnson said of the sequence. "But we just couldn't get over the hump and there was a reason for that. (Linsly) was very good on defense and we missed some open shots."

Linsly, which also received 13 points from Dorde Donavic and 11 from nathan Coleman, returns to action Saturday night, visiting Wheeling Central in what will be the Cadets' ninth game away from Stifel Field House.

"We did a good job," Wojcik said. "We put a complete game together. I thought we guarded well. We really limited them to one shot. It was either it went or we got the rebound. That was our focal point coming in."

Barnesville hits the court again Tuesday, playing host to rival Union Local inside the Greenhouse.