Big Red keeps rolling, tops Weir at The Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Finnegan Fieldhouse

STEUBENVILLE -- Once the Big Red boys basketball got rolling, Weir was unable to slow them down.

Big Red broke open a close game in the first quarter and did not look back as they defeated the Red Riders, 79-36, via mercy rule in the MBC Blue Collar Ball Classic Saturday night on Hank Kuzma Court inside the Finnegan Fieldhouse on the campus of The Franciscan University of Steubenville.

"We did not play good defense," Big Red (5-1) head coach Mike Haney said. "We pride ourselves on our defense. Our defense was a little off. We didn't get back. We did do a good job of rebounding. We didn't do a good job of rotating and communicating. We were able to get out and run in the open floor. We did not play well. We fouled too much. We had too many fouls."

Big Red has now won five straight games.

"They are a very good team," Weir (2-2) head coach Anthony Santangelo said. "We dug ourselves a deep hole. They wore us out with their pressure, and we were never able to catch up. We put our heads down. We did not do a good job. They're a good team."

Weir led early on before the boys from Jefferson County tallied seven straight points to take a 7-2 lead forcing Santangelo to call an early timeout with 6:31 left to play in the first quarter. The Red Riders stormed back and knotted the score at 7. The victors were able to regain the lead, and a basket by the boys in white cut their deficit down to 13-11, however, a three-point play jumpstarted the Big Red offense as the boys in black built a 23-13 lead with 46 seconds left in the first before taking a 24-15 lead into the second.

Big Red broke the game open in the second as they outscored Weir, 28-10, to extend their advantage to 52-25 at halftime.

"They shot the ball well," Santangelo said. "They got points off our turnovers. We dug ourselves a hole."

Big Red delivered another big quarter in the third as they outscored the boys from Hancock County, 21-8, to increase their advantage to 73-34 going into the fourth. Big Red outscored Weir, 6-2, in the fourth to account for the final score.

"We were able to rotate guys in in the second half," Haney said. "Our bench played well. We were able to get some steals and hit some shots. We missed a lot of shots. We made some shots, and you play better defense once your shots start to fall."

Aiden Davis delivered a game-high 21 points to lead the way offensively for Big Red. Also, Santino Haney and Will Taylor each tallied 15 points, while Cole Bowers collected nine.

"It was a great environment," Coach Haney said. "We got to come to a college campus and play. It was great. We are proud to be a part of this event."

Damir Mowder delivered 10 points to lead the way for Weir, while Justin Kaczmarek recorded seven and Teddy Glyptis scored six.

"It was the best," Santangelo said about taking part in the event. "It was great to be back. Joe (Wallace) asked us to come here. I was here for a few years. We still keep in contact. It was great for him to bring us here. It was great to be a part of the first year of this tournament. It was good to play a rival at Franciscan University."

Santangelo, a 2008 graduate of Brooke, was an assistant coach and the recruiting coordinator under Barons' head coach Joe Wallace.

The game was the third and final one of the day. In the opener, the Catholic Central boys defeated rival Madonna, 70-32, while Franciscan's men's basketball team defeated Penn State Shenango, 83-44, in the second game. Big Red graduate Josh Zimmerman scored three points for the Barons in their win.

"It was nice to be able to watch Josh play," Coach Haney said. "He played really well. We get to see them a lot. They'll come down and practice. We know them pretty well."

Big Red and Weir are scheduled to meet again Friday night in the annual Chuck Watt/John Nese Classic inside Big Red's Crimson Center.

"We play them again," Santangelo said. "We know what to expect. It is going to be fun. We will learn from this. We're going to have to get after it. We're going to have to do the little things.

"Big Red did a great job. Coach Haney does a great job with his team. They're good players, but they are also good kids."

Big Red 79, Weir 36

Big Red 24 28 21 6 – 79

Weir 15 10 9 2 – 36

BIG RED (5-1): Hinton 4 0-0 8, Davis 7 3-4 21, Haney 6 3-3 15, Wiggins 1 1-2 3, Bowers 4 0-0 9, Adams 0 0-0 0, Taylor 5 5-6 15, Bono 1 0-0 2, Simon 1 0-0 2, Rea 0 0-0 0, Gulan 0 0-0 0, Moore 2 0-0 4. TOTALS: 31 12-15 79.

WEIR (2-2): J. Kaczmarek 2 3-5 7, Mowder 3 4-6 10, Stevenson 2 0-0 4, Douglas 1 1-2 3, Glyptis 1 4-6 6, Jeffers 1 2-2 4, Thorn 0 0-0 0, Meenely 0 0-0 0, E. Kaczmarek 0 0-0 0, Bailie 0 0-0 0, Grays 1 0-0 2. TOTALS: 11 14-21 36.

3-POINTERS: Big Red 5 (Davis 4, Bowers); Weir (none)