Northridge defended its home court and played one of its best defensive games of the season in beating Mason 52-43 Monday.
“We started way back in the summer, actually,” Lisath said. “We put a lot of emphasis on defense where we changed a few things, finding where we’re really good and then building from there.
“The kids have bought in. And we always add, if you want to get on the floor, play defense and you’re going to get there.”
Northridge (6-1) twice held Mason (7-1) without points for more than five minutes. The first came in the opening quarter after Mason pulled within 6-4 in the opening minute. Northridge went on an 8-0 run over 5 minutes, 13 seconds of game time to grab an initial 10-point lead.
Mason scored with 4:16 left in the first half to make it a 22-14 game, but didn’t get its next points until nearly three minutes had gone by in the third quarter.
The Polar Bears were not able to build more than an 11-point lead despite holding down the Comers.
Senior Brycen Johnson got going in the fourth for Mason. The leading scorer in the Greater Miami Conference had nine points over the first three quarters. He scored 11 straight to open the fourth on his way to a 23-point night.
Credit: Steven Wright
Credit: Steven Wright
“We knew we had to guard (Johnson),” sophomore Keonte Smith said. “I mean, he’s (their) best player. We tried to box him and it didn’t work, but we still came out with the win.”
Johnson was able to get Mason to within five points with 5:05 remaining. A three-pointer by Northridge sophomore D’marriante Crane followed and was a dagger that Mason became all too familiar with experiencing during the second half.
The Comets crept within the five-to-seven point range on several occasions but could never get closer. Mason never went on a run larger than three points in a row at any point in the game as Northridge continually did just enough to keep their opponents at an arms length away.
Credit: Steven Wright
Credit: Steven Wright
“We practice that a lot. Sometimes during certain practices we have a little scrimmage at the end and it’s we’re up a lot or we’re down a lot and we’re trying to win the game,” Lisath said. “It’s a way to try to preserve a game by playing good defense and getting a score here or there.”
Northridge never trailed in the contest. Senior Deonte Smith hit a three in the opening seconds and sophomore Keonte Smith with one of his own. The team’s two leading scorers combined to have 28 points and did most of their damage in the first half.
The Polar Bears experienced an offensive drought on its own early in the second half. Senior Eddie Conners stepped up by hitting a three, his second on the season in as many attempts, as part of an eight-point quarter to help maintain the lead. Conners went 5-for-5 from the field with six rebounds on the night.
Credit: Steven Wright
Credit: Steven Wright
Northridge took the air out of the ball several times late in both halves to shorten the game. They shot 52.6 percent from the field, but only made 8 of 20 free throw attempts. It didn’t matter on this night as Mason could only muster a pair of baskets during the final two minutes and waived the white flag with 20 seconds remaining.
“I could tell our kids were ready in the locker room before the game. We have a lot of kids that are kind of calm, but everybody was leveled up for this one,” Lisath said. “We knew we were playing a good team and a Division I team. And, you know, we like to protect our home court.”
Mason entered the game ranked as the third-best team across any division in Ohio by MaxPreps own rating formula. The official RPI ratings used to seed the OHSAA state postseason tournament will come out in January.
Monday’s game was the fourth D-I opponent Northridge, a D-IV squad, has faced this season. The Polar Bears had already beaten Cincinnati Elder and Hilliard Davidson, and its only loss came at fifth-ranked Westerville North.
“I’m excited for the kids because they really wanted this one and they went out and got it,” Lisath said. “I tell them talk is cheap and you’ve got to go out there and play. And I thought they came out with a fire and played really well and finished too.”
About the Author
