In the final game of this basketball classic the Olmsted Falls Bulldogs went up against the Benedictine Bengals. This game was the second game of the season for both teams.
The tip was won by Benedictine, and their first shot was off. Olmsted Falls then turned the ball over which led to a 3-pointer for Benedictine. Michael Candow for the Bulldogs hit two 3-pointers, one on the top of the key, and one in the left corner, within the first couple minutes of the game. The score at this point was 8-3, Olmsted Falls. Michael Candow had 8 points, an assist, and a steal all in the first quarter.
In the first quarter, it seemed like Olmsted Falls was really focusing on jump shots, more so than driving in the paint. A small error happened, as the Bulldogs had an illegal substitution, causing technical free throws for Benedictine, which they hit both. Olmsted Falls then had traveling violations on back-to-back possessions, which led to Benedictine hitting a buzzer beater floater as the first quarter ended. We were all tied up at 15 after one quarter.
To start off the second period, Michael Candow accidentally scored on his own basket on an inbound pass. However, he made up for his mistake by hitting an up-and-under layup. Defense was a big part of this quarter, as both sides were pressing in the full-court. The senior guard Candow hit a step-back 3-pointer after getting some separation from a pick set for him. Candow had hit three 3-pointers in the game already, and had also scored two layups as well. Benedictine got a steal, and passed it all the way up the court for a transition layup. Then Olmsted Falls pushed it up the court in transition, and the 5'10" Candow got fouled on a layup. At the end of the second quarter the score was 24-21 in favor of Olmsted Falls.
The third quarter started will both teams turning the ball over. A poor pass was made by Jimmy Rosol of North Olmsted. This pass was dropped and caused multiple players to dive all over the floor ending up with a Benedictine possession. North Olmsted then hit a layup, but Tre Edwards responds by hitting a 3-pointer on the right wing. Candow hits his own 3-pointer on the left wing a couple possessions later, giving the Bulldogs a 31-24 lead. Evan Gilliand, the Olmsted Falls forward, hits a pretty layup after a nice lead pass from his guard Michael Candow.
Passing the ball was amazing for Olmsted Falls this quarter, as it seemed like all baskets were scored from an assist. In this quarter, Olmsted Falls seemed to pull away a bit, as they were up by thirteen before the third quarter was over. Michael Candow was on fire from long distance as he made multiple triples in that quarter alone. An illegal screen was called on Darrell Dunner from Benedictine, which slowed down their offense even more. Isac Candow also hit a triple in the corner, helping the team keep their lead. At the end of the third quarter the score was 41-31 Olmsted Falls.
In the fourth quarter, Benedictine was playing smothering defense, doubling players whenever they could. They cut the lead town to six, building up some momentum. Tre Edwards hit a really nice floater off of the glass once his defender reached in for a steal and missed. Olmsted Falls came up with a really nice block, but didn’t help them create any offense. With about four minutes left it was a four point game and Benedictine had the momentum on their side after an amazing block on the Bulldogs. Both teams were exchanging punches at this point, as it seemed like both teams weren’t losing any offensive takes.
With about two minutes left in the game, Michael Candow was hit on a backdoor cut, putting the Bulldogs up by eight and seemingly pulling away from the Bengals. However Benedictine hit a 3-pointer which bounced around a bit before going in. Then Olmsted Falls missed two free throws and Benedictine hit a layup to cut it down to three points. Benedictine missed a 3-pointer that would have tied it up and then Olmsted Falls made a full court pass and Candow hit a layup to put the nail in the coffin. Olmsted Falls prevailed 55-50.
We had a chance to talk with Bulldogs head coach Chris DeLisio.
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