Seven and counting: Triway finds winning recipe despite young roster

WOOSTER TWP. — Two freshmen play big minutes. A sophomore leads the team in scoring. One of the few seniors on the team missed six straight games before returning Tuesday night.

And yet here Triway is, winner of seven straight after a decisive 77-63 Tuesday night win over Canton South, with a big-time showdown with league leading CVCA this Friday in one of the few remaining games at the Pit.

So how have they done it?

Well, the freshmen don't play like freshmen and Brayden Holt is far from the typical sophomore, for starters.

Nothing about the way Bruin Flinner (11.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG) and Jalen Hackett (6.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG) play suggest they are ninth graders. In fact, their basketball IQ is something many high school players never possess. Flinner has made his mark as a pesky perimeter defender who isn't afraid to take — and make — big shots and Hackett gives the Titans physicality inside without needing to touch the ball.

"I can't say enough great things about them," Triway coach Ben Holt said. "Those two freshmen, when they're on the floor, they make plays for us. They make 18-year-old plays when they're not even close to that age. I'm proud of the way they've come along. I'm proud of the way they've brought others along. They make us coaches look good."

And then there's Brayden Holt (16.2 PPG, 4.1 APG), who is playing perhaps the best basketball of his high school career on the eve of the CVCA rematch (CVCA won the first one 73-66). His super-efficient 30-point game against Canton South (11-for-15 from the field, 4-of-5 from 3) came on the heels of a 37-pointer in a win over a quality Indian Lake team.

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"When the basket is huge, you know Brayden, he's going to fill it up, so we're going to get him the ball," Triway senior Drew Bishko said.

Holt's ability to score in crafty ways, using floaters and push shots in the paint, along with knocking down jumpers from further away, ignites a Triway offense that has scored 70 or more points in four of its last five games.

"I'm not the biggest guy out there," the sophomore point guard said. "From a young age, I've always played up. So, I'm always finding different ways to get my shot off."

But the Titans wouldn't be where they are without seniors Bishko, Cale Drown and Luke Snowbarger.

Bishko and Drown have been varsity players since their freshman seasons, and all of that experience is paying off on and off the court. Both players bring the type of maturity and leadership needed for a team to take the next step.

Of course, it helps when they're also some of the best players on the floor.

Bishko (15.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG) does a little bit of everything for the Titans, often guarding an opponent's best player and scoring in a variety of ways on the other end.

"He's a great verbal leader off and on (the court)," Brayden Holt said of Bishko. "The entire senior class is altogether."

Drown was scoring 11 points per game and hitting more than two threes per night before a hand injury kept him out of several games. He made his return against Canton South but sitting and watching helped him improve as well.

"He's a great kid, first and foremost," Ben Holt said. "He's so fun to talk to. He talks like a young man. We can have some really good conversations on and off the court. ... (While injured), he was with us every single day, whether it was practice, film or games. He got a chance to grow a little bit as a player just by watching and listening. He did a great job of that."

The 6-foot-6 Snowbarger hasn't been a part of the Triway program until this season, transferring from Wooster before his senior year, but brings a steady presence both on and off the floor as well.

It's not the typical makeup of a public school in the hunt for a conference title and tournament success but the Titans' competitiveness and love for the game makes up for any lack of experience.

"We've spent a lot of time together," Bishko said. "We've grown up together. We were in the gym together. We knew how each other played and what we needed to do."

With seven straight wins and Drown back from injury, the Titans will have payback on their minds when 14-1 CVCA marches into the Pit Friday night.

"It has been circled on our schedule since our loss," Bishko said. "We also know we have to win this game to have a shot at the PAC (title). So, you take the loss and then that? It's really important to us."

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Boys Hoops: Triway rides 7-game winning streak into CVCA matchup