Portage HS scores | Jan. 16: Aurora boys basketball rides defense to sixth straight win

Jonah Rosenblum, Ravenna Record-Courier
Aurora junior Zach Pannetti runs with the ball during Tuesday night’s basketball game against the Crestwood Red Devils at Aurora High School.
Aurora junior Zach Pannetti runs with the ball during Tuesday night’s basketball game against the Crestwood Red Devils at Aurora High School.

AURORA — Led by its defense, Aurora repeatedly set the tone in Tuesday's 64-48 nonleague boys basketball victory over Crestwood.

The Greenmen (8-4) scored the first nine points to take a lead they would hold the entire night. Aurora also scored the first eight points of the second quarter — all coming off of turnovers — en route to its sixth straight victory.

"We knew they were a really good shooting team," Greenmen junior Zachary Pannetti said. "We wanted to take that away from them. Like in the first half, they only hit one three, so taking that away from them really killed them."

Pannetti was a key part of the Greenmen's early surge, scoring on fast breaks and hard drives to the basket to tally 11 points at the half and 15 overall.

"Zach has got a really quick first step," Aurora coach Cody Calhoun said. "[He] does a great job getting up to the rim. He finishes a lot of times over guys that are four, five, six inches taller than him and sometimes we're not even sure how he was able to finish it, but he's worked at his craft. He puts the time in."

Another Greenmen junior guard, Ben Lukasik, caught fire in the third, making his first three shots of the second half, including a pair of 3-pointers, to finish with 10 points. Sophomore John Trivisonno added 11 points while senior Cooper Carnahan had eight.

Crestwood head coach Josh Jakacki and junior Dekota Johnson celebrate Johnson’s 1,000th career point at the conclusion of Tuesday night’s basketball game in Aurora.
Crestwood head coach Josh Jakacki and junior Dekota Johnson celebrate Johnson’s 1,000th career point at the conclusion of Tuesday night’s basketball game in Aurora.

Held to single digits in each of the first two quarters, the Red Devils (10-2) got going with a 20-point third that included three Charlie Schweickert 3-pointers. The senior drained five 3-pointers overall to score 19 points while junior Dekota Johnson led all scorers with 21 to hit the 1,000-point mark.

Mogadore 77, Southeast 47

The Wildcats won their eighth straight game by getting off to an impressive start, then running away courtesy of a 44-24 second half.

Layne Miller had a massive night, draining six 3-pointers and leading all scorers with 31 points. Nick Stephenson (15 points) and Corey Lehner (10) also finished in double figures for Mogadore (9-3, 3-1 Portage Trail Conference).

Garrett Sprutte led Southeast (6-5, 1-3) with 24 points while Cohen Richardson added 11.

Brookfield 64, Garfield 52

Matteo Fortuna took over for the Warriors, leading all scorers with 31 points in Tuesday's Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Grey Tier game. Fortuna's strong night began with 10 points in the first quarter alone. Nevon Hoffman followed that up with a 10-point second quarter en route to 18 total points.

Preston Gedeon led Garfield (2-10, 1-6) with five 3-pointers and 17 points while Cade Rock added 13 points. Nick Edic and Aidan Hill added eight points apiece, with Edic draining two 3-pointers and Hill making 5 of 6 from the line.

Girls Basketball

Norton 48, Streetsboro 40

The Rockets lost their first league game, essentially leaving them in a first-place tie with the Panthers.

Streetsboro (10-2, 8-1 Metro Athletic Conference) fell despite an impressive double-double from Naomi Benson (19 points, 18 rebounds). Carlee Bedford also finished in double figures for the Rockets with 10 points.

Andie Osolin (14 points, two 3-pointers) and Alivia Goff (11 points) led the way for Norton (9-5, 9-1).

Box Scores

BOYS BASKETBALL

AURORA 64, CRESTWOOD 48

CRESTWOOD: A. Schweickert 1-0-2, Johnson 9-3-21, C. Schweickert 7-0-19, Lincoln 1-0-3, Eyerman 1-0-3. Totals 19-3-48.

AURORA: Pride 2-2-7, Lukasik 4-0-10, Pannetti 7-1-15, Thomas 1-0-2, Habbyshaw 2-0-5, Harrell 2-0-4, Trivisonno 4-2-11, Bonnette 1-0-2, Carnahan 3-2-8. Totals 26-7-64.

Crestwood - 8 - 5 - 20 - 15 — 48

Aurora - 17 - 15 - 19 - 13 — 64

3-pointers: C. Schweickert 5, Lukasik 2, Pride, Habbyshaw, Trivisonno, Lincoln, Eyerman.

BROOKFIELD 64, GARRETTSVILLE 52

GARRETTSVILLE: Rock 6-1-13, Hill 1-5-8, Gedeon 6-0-17, Edic 3-0-8, Tourville 1-0-2, Lutz 1-2-4. Totals 18-8-52.

BROOKFIELD: Fortuna 14-1-31, Hardman 2-0-4, Dungee 1-0-2, Hoffman 7-1-18, DeJoy 2-0-4, Russo 0-3-3. Totals 26-5-64.

Garrettsville - 11 - 10 - 12 - 19 — 52

Brookfield - 10 - 18 - 12 - 24 — 64

3-pointers: Gedeon 5, Hoffman 3, Fortuna 2, Edic 2, Hill. Fouled out: Hardman.

MOGADORE 77, SOUTHEAST 47

SOUTHEAST (6-4, 1-4): Myers 2-0-4, Sprutte 8-7-24, Keto 1-0-3, Richardson 4-2-11, Sharish 0-1-1, Shodd 1-0-2, Walden 1-0-2. Totals 17-10-47.

MOGADORE (9-3, 3-1): Lehner 3-4-10, Jaber 1-0-3, Westfall 1-0-2, Thiry 1-0-2, Miller 10-5-31, Buso 2-0-4, Blagojevic 1-0-3, Graham 2-1-5, Butler 1-0-2, Stephenson 6-3-15. Totals 28-13-77.

Southeast - 9 - 14 - 19 - 5 — 47

Mogadore - 19 - 14 - 27 - 17 — 77

3-pointers: Miller 6, Jaber, Blagojevic, Sprutte, Keto, Richardson.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

NORTON 48, STREETSBORO 40

STREETSBORO (10-2, 8-1): Johnson-Wilson 2-0-4, Benson 9-1-19, Kassan 3-0-7, Bedford 1-7-10, Abbuhl 0-0-0. Totals 15-8-40.

NORTON (9-5, 9-1): Graham 1-4-7, Sanderson 1-0-2, Tatka 2-0-4, Dobbins 1-2-4, Osolin 4-4-14, Donley 2-1-5, Farrell 0-1-1, Goff 3-5-11. Totals 14-17-48.

Streetsboro - 13 - 2 - 15 - 10 — 40

Norton - 12 - 8 - 14 - 14 — 48

3-pointers: Osolin 2, Graham, Kassan, Bedford. Rebounds: Streetsboro 37 (Benson 18), Norton 28 (Osolin 6).

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Portage County high school roundups and scores from Jan. 16, 2024

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