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Yappi.com writer CANTON-Decisive runs and game-breaking plays although common, never get old for the undefeated Wooster Triway Titans basketball fans.Flexing their muscle, running the court and playing tight defense most of the night, the Titans used runs of 10-0, 8-0, and a 16-0 run along with eight straight points from Titans point guard Jamie Breneman in the first half, to make their semifinal game against the Cleveland Benedictine Bengals almost a foregone conclusion at the half. After a brutal first half,the score was 44-14 but the Bengals were not quite ready to start thinking about next year. Battling back was exactly what they had in mind. Certainly the humbling results of the first half were softened a bit by a strong showing in the second half of basketball against a now 24-0 Triway basketball team. Triway was tough and was able to stop a Benedictine charge to turn it around with a 76-63 win to advance them to Saturday's Canton Division II regional championship game against Painesville Harvey, winners over Salem 63-58 in the nightcap. Dating back to the 2005 postseason, the Titans have won their last 10 of 11 tournament games.And they have won those games with decisive runs that have been the trademark of Titans basketball under 47-year-old fourth-year head coach Keith Snoddy. "Our goal was to get out early. We had to put a seed of doubt in their minds. They thought they could play with us coming in and we needed to make sure that they had that doubt in their minds at halftime," Snoddy said. "We took care of that and the guys did a good job of being focused the first half and scoring in transition. We did a good job of that." Triway was led by senior guard Jeff McCartney's 20 points. Benedictine was led by Martin White and his 13 points. Another factor that loomed large was Benedictine's inability to knock down the three-point shot. The Bengals converted on just two of 16 attempted three-point shots in the game and finished with five made on 25 attempts. "I thought they got depressed. They got down on themselves and again, we put the doubt in their minds and we did that," Snoddy said. Benedictine ends their season 8-16 with a district championship to their credit. The Titans turn their sights to the Painesville Harvey Red Raiders. The Titans defeated the Red Raiders 60-48 in last year's regional final. Snoddy believes this game will be another test for his undefeated Titans (24-0). "This is high school basketball and every team remaining is good," he said. "This road is not easy and it never will be. Our kids do a great job of staying focused."Decisive runs and game-breaking plays come often but will never get old for Keith Snoddy and his army of Titans. |
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