BUCYRUS — When experience and size get matched against youth and inexperience, the results are predictable.
To a point.
A veteran Colonel Crawford basketball team took its advantage to new heights — literally — as the Eagles obliterated the youthful Bucyrus Redmen, 110-40, in a Northern 10 Athletic Conference game at Alex Kish Memorial Gymnasium.
In the process, Colonel Crawford (6-1, 4-1 N10) set a new Kish Gymnasium team scoring record. It was one point short of the most points given up by a Bucyrus team, which happened in a 111-108 double overtime loss to Galion in 1966 at the old Bucyrus High School.
“We shot it well and we’re unselfish,” Colonel Crawford coach David Sheldon said. “That’s the good thing with this group, they’re unselfish, they make the extra pass. When you have a lot of weapons like we have that can score, making extra passes is the key to being successful. Our guys took good shots all night.”
The Eagles hit 45 of 73 shot attempts for the night. To Sheldon’s point, most were good shots. The Redmen did their part to help, committing 33 turnovers for the game, 23 in the first half.
“Think about how many layups that is (the result of),” Bucyrus coach Barry Egan said. “They didn’t seem to get too tired of playing defense or manhandling us. I think we cowered to the pressure and that’s very disappointing.”
Chase Walker scored the first two baskets of the game for Colonel Crawford, but Mike was answered with a bucket for Bucyrus (0-7, 0-5) to make it 4-2 one minute into the contest.
From there, the Redmen would need binoculars to see the Eagles on the scoreboard. Colonel Crawford scored 33 straight points to the end of the quarter to lead 37-2 after one. Even with three quarters remaining, the outcome was not in doubt.
Walker scored 12 of his 18 points and Gavin Feichtner added 14 of his game-high 22 in the first eight minutes.
“Last week, (Chase) had 18 rebounds and he only played three quarters,” Sheldon said. “He’s got a motor better than any kid I’ve ever coached. He just brings energy, goes and gets the ball, he’s athletic, he’s long. It’s nice to have him on our team.”
Thanks to four straight Bucyrus turnovers, the Eagles registered the first five points of the second quarter to stretch the CC lead to 42-2 before Lucas Kozinski interrupted the skein with a basket for the Redmen.
Colonel Crawford went on to blow the lead out to 64-14 by halftime. Eight different Eagles scored in the half and 13 for the game.
“We got off to a poor start, but I think they just manhandled us,” Egan said. “They were a great deal more aggressive than us and we certainly didn’t step up to the challenge. Hence the fact that they scored 110 points.”
Things got moderately better for Bucyrus in the second half, especially offensively. The Redmen scored 19 points in the third quarter. Kozinski dropped in nine of his team-high 14 points in the frame after being held to five in the first half.
“We were worried about Lucas,” Sheldon said. “He had a great game last game. He had 25 against Mohawk and (Bucyrus was) up two at the half. We wanted to limit his touches and we did a good job of that early. We held him to (five) in the first half and that’s a credit to Reis Walker and Brock Ritzhaupt who had the assignment of guarding Lucas.”
Every player who wore a Colonel Crawford varsity uniform scored in the game — 13 in all. Jordan Fenner was the third Eagle in double figures with 17 to go with Chase Walker’s 18 and Gavin Feichtner’s 22. Fenner had six rebounds to lead Crawford’s 38-23 edge on the glass.
Bucyrus had nine players score, but other than Kozinski’s 14 points, Nick Middleton was next with five. Freshman Jake Hamm had five rebounds.
“I told our guys at halftime that I didn’t think they were going to get tired of shooting layups,” Egan said. “I understand we’re a work-in-progress but there comes a point in time where you’ve got to step up and play.”
“We had the pace of the game where we wanted it,” Sheldon said. “We get up and down and we’ve got multiple guys who can bring it up. It’s not just Jordan and that’s a good thing when we’re playing fast like that.
“That’s a young basketball team,” Sheldon continued regarding Bucyrus, “Other than Kozinski, that’s a very young team he’s putting out there at the varsity level. Barry Egan’s a great coach. He’s been successful all over the place. It takes time (to change). It doesn’t happen overnight.”
“There’s a whole lot better lessons to be learned in the game of basketball than going out and getting beat by 70 points,” Egan said. “Maybe we’re just a little bit slow on how to learn. Eventually, hopefully, we’ll get this thing turned around and get it changed.”
Colonel Crawford also won the junior varsity game, 61-19. Nolan McKibben had 16 points to lead the Eagles, while Mason McKibben had 14 and Carson Feichtner added 12. Ethan Powers led Bucyrus with eight points.
Box score
Colonel Crawford 37 27 29 17 — 110
Bucyrus 2 12 19 7 — 40
Colonel Crawford (6-1, 4-1 N10): Shots 45-73; 3-pt shots 10-19 (Gavin Feichtner 3, Mason Studer 2, Nolan McKibben, Carter Valentine, Seth Miller, Drayton Burkhart, Brenden Grady); Free throws 10-14; Rebounds 38 (Jordan Fenner 6); Turnovers 12. Scoring: Mason Studer 3 1 9, Reis Walker 1 0 2, Jordan Fenner 7 2 17, Brock Ritzhaupt 2 2 8, Nolan McKibben 2 0 5, Carter Valentine 3 1 7, Gavin Feichtner 9 1 22, Mason McKibben 3 0 6, Seth Miller 3 0 7, Drayton Burkhart 1 0 3, Ethan Smith 1 0 2, Chase Walker 8 2 18, Carson Feichtner 0 2 2, Brenden Grady 1 0 3.
Bucyrus (0-7, 0-5 N10): Shots 16-45; 3-pt. shots 3-8; Free throws 5-11; Rebounds 23 (Jake Hamm 5); Turnovers 33. Scoring: Lucas Kozinski 5 2 14, Zach Delaney 1 1 3, Mike Wise 2 0 4, Grady Jackson 1 1 3, Nick Middleton 2 0 5, Ethan Huff 1 0 2, Skylar Lucio 1 0 2, Gabe Higginbotham 2 0 4, Jake Hamm 1 1 3.
JV: Colonel Crawford 61-19.