MOONEY TURNS AWAY THE CRUSADERS
By Michael Ginocchi
Youngstown, OH- On Friday night, the Cardinal Mooney boys’ basketball team faced off against a formidable Canton Central Catholic team in a fiercely contested matchup. The Crusaders were coming off of a big win over Warren JFK and were looking to grab a win over Mooney. After Struggling in the first half with the Cardinals press, the Crusaders found their rhythm. They cut the lead to just one late in the fourth, but clutch shooting from the field and foul line helped Mooney grab a big 61-52 win.
Rocco Turner was clutch for the Cardinals knocking down six threes while scoring 22 points. Whenever his team required a crucial shot, he consistently delivered. Eddie Nieves made a significant impact on the scoreboard, contributing to his team’s success by scoring an impressive 15 points and reaching double figures in the game. Finally, Will Desmond who is only a freshman was doing most of the dirty work. He constantly kept extra possessions alive.
Canton Central Catholic’s Luke Vlacovsky was his team’s MVP. He lit up the scoreboard with an impressive 23 points in a stellar performance. Vlacovsky was able to handle Mooney’s press with ease. Three other Crusaders all finished with 8 points on the night. Towards the end of the game, Coach Palermo’s team ramped the pressure back up causing Canton Central Catholic to turn the ball over.
With the Win Cardinal Mooney improves to 10-4 on the season. The Cardinals will be back in action at home on Tuesday for a big SVC matchup vs Youngstown East. Canton Central Catholic drops to 8-7 with the loss. The Crusaders will host Manchester this upcoming Tuesday.
