Mentor surges past VASJ, extending winning streak
What started as a close game in the first quarter ended with a Mentor Cardinal run that was too much for VASJ to handle Monday night. Mentor was able to outscore the Vikings 24-9 in the second quarter to take…
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Continue ReadingWhat started as a close game in the first quarter ended with a Mentor Cardinal run that was too much for VASJ to handle Monday night. Mentor was able to outscore the Vikings 24-9 in the second quarter to take a commanding 42-24 lead heading into halftime. From there, it was the Chad Rogers show. The senior forward put together a dominant third quarter, propelling the Cardinals to a 30-point quarter and that was enough to put the game completely out of reach. During the 86-70 win, Mentor picked up their 11th win in their last 12 games, surging at the right time heading into tournament play.
Top performers
Chad Rogers (2020) | 6-5 PF | Mentor
stats: 26 points, 7 rebounds
The senior forward made his presence known inside the paint early on for the Cardinals. The Penn State baseball commit caught fire, scoring 19 points in the third quarter alone on a night where he racked up a game-high 26 points. Nobody on VASJ was able to match his physicalness inside the paint. Rogers was able to score all of his points near the basket and it’s hard to limit him inside the paint due to his size and ability to score the ball.
“If you have to come out, and not help (underneath the basket), Chad’s such a bear going one-on-one,” Krizancic said. “That proved it. He’s 220 pounds, he’s athletic, and he’s just a tough matchup.”
Jonah Waag (2021) | 6-2 PG | VASJ
stats: 12 points
A vocal leader for VASJ, junior guard Jonah Waag was able to showcase his aggressiveness early on in the game on both sides of the ball. He’s developed a smooth, pretty consistent jump shot this season for the Vikings, as he is one of the area’s top scorers. He’s very active on defense, making sure his teammates are in the right spots and does a good job of creating pressure. Waag has a nice frame for his size.
Luke Chicone (2021) | 5-10 PG | Mentor
stats: 22 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 5 steals
Luke Chicone caught fire in the first half, scoring a game-high 18 points to lead his team into halftime with a comfortable lead. It was all working well for the Youngstown State commit Monday night. When he was able to attack the basket early on, he was able to get more of his teammates involved when defenders tried crashing down on him. The crafty point guard does a great job proving scoring opportunities for the open player due to his excellent court vision and quick decisions with the ball. He ended the night scoring 22 points, knocking down four 3-pointers along with grabbing six rebounds and dishing out seven assists on a night he was doing it all. Chicone has shown major improvements in all aspects of his game this year while enjoying a breakout junior season for the Cardinals.