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Barberton used a big first quarter to take care of Canton South 61-40 on Sunday night at the North Canton Mercy Medical Center Classic.
NORTH CANTON, Ohio – The Barberton Magics boys basketball team snapped a three-game losing streak Sunday night with a 61-40 win over Canton South in the final game of the Mercy Medical Center Classic played at Hoover High School.
“Tonight was an important game for us,” Barberton coach Ken Rector said.
The Magics (7-3) jumped on top 18-8 after the first quarter and led by at least five points the rest of the way.
Barberton limited the Wildcats to four second-half field goals.
Senior guard Eric Hummel sank three 3-pointers in the opening quarter and junior Jamir House had a blocked shot in which he picked up the loose ball and went coast-to-coast for a layup to get Barberton off to a fast start.
The Magics were eager for a good beginning after successive losses to Nordonia, Cleveland East Tech and Northwest.
The Northwest loss in Canal Fulton was tough to swallow after the Indians missed consecutive free throws, but caught a batted ball behind the arc on the rebound and sank a 3-point shot as time expired to win 52-51.
“We just ran into a rough spot,” Rector said. “We played a couple of good teams and had a couple of breaks that didn’t go our way, but that happens in a season.”
House said he and his teammates recognized the need to play a complete game against Canton South.
“I was thinking about defense first,” the 6-foot-2 forward said. “Coach also says, ‘Defense wins games.’ We had to hit the boards and play together as a team.”
House finished with 16 points and three blocked shots to earn Barberton’s Player of the Game award.
A rash of injuries had the Magics unsettled in December, yet they managed to win their first six games.
“It feels like we’re starting practices and trying to identify roles,” Rector said.
Starting senior point guard D.J. Phillips missed the entire preseason on the mend from a injury. Senior swing player J.D. Cuckler missed the first seven games with a broken hand and junior forward Nate Painter missed a bunch of games due to injury.
After South had whittled its deficit to five, Barberton freshman guard Joshua Williams hit a 3-pointer from the left corner and scored a put-back hoop in the final minute of the first half to restore a 10-point lead at 34-24.
Williams hit two late 3-pointers and ended with 17 points. Hummel had 12 points and junior Scott Sabol added eight points, including two triples.
“We played hard for four quarters,” Rector said. “I thought we did a nice job of containing their penetration.”
Senior wing Bryson Smith had 21 points for Canton South (4-7).
Also:
CINCINNATI TAFT 82, ST. VINCENT-ST. MARY 74. At Kettering, Ohio, near Dayton, Adolphus Washington scored 30 points in leading Taft to a victory at the Flyin' to the Hoop Showcase.
Seniors Lorenzo Cugini (29 points, 5 3-point goals) and D.J. Blanks (21 points) paced St. Vincent-St. Mary (6-5) in defeat.
The Senators (6-4) led 47-44 at half. Washington, an Ohio State football recruit, also had 11 rebounds.