MOONEY ESCAPES TOUGH STEEL VALLEY TEST

By Michael Ginocchi 

Youngstown, OH- The Cardinal Mooney boys’ basketball team encountered a formidable challenge when they hosted the East Golden Bears. East came it with an 7-6, 0-4 record inside the Steel Valley Conference, but had played teams close. As expected, the game went down to the wire and Mooney escaped with a thrilling 56-53 win.

Ashton O’Brien made a significant impact for Mooney as they relied on him heavily for offense. He led the way with 23 big points. Jibri Carter demonstrated exceptional composure in handling the pressure thrown at him by East. He finished with 16 while shooting a solid 6/8 from the free throw line. The Golden Bears effectively contained Rocco Turner, limiting him to just 6 points.

Despite key players being in foul trouble throughout the game, East still managed to compete with their physical play. Isaiah McCray showcased his status as one of the area’s top players by scoring 22 points, including three three-pointers. Unfortunately,  McCray fouled out during the game’s final minutes. Cam Sly was also in foul trouble most of the night and only finished with 6 points. Jared Colon finished with 7 off the bench. Colon made a good effort to tie the game at the buzzer by throwing up a shot from just inside half court, but his attempt fell short.

With the win, Mooney improves to 11-4 (1-1 SVC) on the season. The Cardinals will have another tough game at hand on Friday when they travel to Chaney. East drops to 7-7 (0-5 SVC)  with the loss. The Golden Bears will be back in action Friday at East Liverpool.