Louisville, OH- A few weeks back, Louisville Head Coach Tom Siegfried referred to his teams schedule as a meat grinder. It was said when talking about the teams trip to California and playing the likes of Lakewood St. Ed's, Richmond Heights and Cincinatti Alter. There's also Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary's and in a week and a half, St. Ignatius. A meat grinder indeed. North Canton Hoover entered Tuesday night wanting to make sure when folks gander at the Leopards schedule as tournament time draws near, the Vikings pop out as well.
The energy in the gym was palpable from the get-go as both fanbases took advantage of a chance to see some of the top teams in Stark County. The game got off to a bit of a rocky start, as neither offense could really get into a rhythm. A buzzer beating 3 by Hoover Senior Crew Cain gave the Vikings a 14-11 lead after the opening quarter.
Cain turned the offensive output up in the 2nd quarter as he added 7 to give him a first half total of 12. The Vikings took a 26-22 advantage to the halftime locker room. The Leopards entered the break with a trio of players (Brayden Gross, Tate Aljancic & Ashton Marshall) with 5.
The 3rd quarter saw the Vikings keep their distance, as Cain's big night continued with a 9-point quarter. This time, it was Sophomore Guard Hunter Hershberger with the last second heroics. His buzzer beating triple gave the visitors a 45-37 lead.
In the 4th, the lead would balloon to double figures for much of the frame, despite Louisville Senior Brayden Gross trying to will the team back into it with 11 of his team leading 21. Unfortunately for Gross and the hosts, the two-headed monster of Cain and Hershberger was just too much, as Cain ended the night with a game high 23 and Hershberger chipped in 19. Senior forward Rob Oster joined his teammates in double figures with 11.
The victory moves the Vikings to 13-6, while the loss drops the Leopards to 13-5.
Comments