MOHAWK 56, UPPER SANDUSKY 26
By Kyle Holsinger
UPPER SANDUSKY — Mohawk was firing on all cylinders Friday night as they beat cross-county and Northern 10 Conference foe Upper Sandusky, 56-26. Kahne Hayman scored 21, Connor Flood added 14, and Boomer Cleveland had 12 points to lead the Warriors (4-0 overall, 3-0 Northern 10).
“This group of kids ever since they were elementary; Coach [Brock] Cleveland, other coaches that have really worked with them, have really preached defense; and I thought our kids tonight kind of showed that,” Mohawk coach Paul Dunn said.
“I mean, not a lot of kids want to play defensive basketball, and our kids really relish it. They take pride in it, and I think that showed through tonight.”
The Rams (5-2, 2-2) only lead of the game came when they won the tipoff, and Brock Montgomery scored inside to go up 2-0.
Mohawk’s Cleveland made one-of-two free throws, Hayman scored on a left-hand layup, and Flood scored on a hook shot before the Orange & Black’s Justin Heilman responded with a bunny in the lane. It was a 5-4 in favor of Mohawk game midway through the first quarter.
That’s when Flood imposed his will on the game.
Flood, a 6-foot-7 senior, sank a couple foul shots after being fouled attempting to put back an offensive rebound. He blocked and then grabbed the defensive board on Upper’s following possession.
Shortly thereafter, Flood grabbed three consecutive offensive rebounds before finally being able to get the put back bucket. With roughly thirty seconds left in the quarter, Cleveland laid up an alley oop for Flood who flew in from the left baseline for the slam dunk.
It was 11-4 at the end of the first period, and Flood already had eight points, eight rebounds, and three blocks.
The Warriors’ Hayman nailed a jumper to start the second, but Upper’s Luke Schoenberger made a bucket in the paint to keep the difference at seven.
A couple minutes later, Cleveland passed to an open Hayman who then knocked down a three-pointer for Mohawk. Hayman hit a second three, this time from the right corner. The Rams called a timeout with 4:27 left in the half, down 19-6.
The Warriors’ Cleveland made a steal and went coast-to-coast for the layup to stretch his team’s lead to 15.
Upper Sandusky’s Montgomery hit two free throws, and then made a three from the left corner on back-to-back possessions to make it a ten-point game, 21-11.
Mohawk answered though when Hunter Haynes made a mid-range jumper to give his team a twelve-point advantage heading into halftime.
The first couple minutes of the second half went scoreless with Flood getting a couple more blocks during the stretch.
Hayman converted a couple foul shots, but Upper’s Justin Heilman nailed a trey in response. Mohawk then went on a 9-0 run, scoring on their next four possessions.
Hayman made a jumper from the elbow then it became the Cleveland Show. Cleveland dribbled penetrated for a left-hand layup, made a couple shots from the charity stripe, and knocked down a three from the left wing to push the Warriors’ lead to 34-14.
Upper Sandusky got a bucket from Justin Heilman and a free throw from Josh Heilman, but Hayman scored a bank shot inside, Cleveland scored, and Flood hit two foul shots to deflate the Rams.
Upper’s Montgomery converted an and-one to end the third quarter on a high-note. It was a 40-20 at that point.
Mohawk’s Ben Bogner scored on a three from the left corner, Flood stole the ball on the ensuing possession, and Cleveland found Flood wide open inside for his second dunk of the game.
Josh Heilman swished a three-pointer from the top of the key for the Ram’s first points of final period.
The Warriors’ Hayman made another three to push his team’s lead to 48-23.
Josh Heilman stole the ball and went the length of the court for an easy layup for the Upper.
A Hayman bucket in the lane, and a Flood put back off an offensive rebound extended Mohawk’s lead to 27 points.
After a Montgomery free throw for the Rams with 1:23 left, the teams traded buckets before finishing the scoring. Montgomery led Upper Sandusky with 11 points.
MOHAWK 11 12 17 16- 56
UPPER SANDUSKY 4 7 9 8- 28
