Olmsted Falls tops Berea-Midpark to remain undefeated

by Don DiFrancesco (@MayorNEOPrep)

OLMSTED FALLS, OHIO– Olmsted Falls remains unbeaten in the Southwestern Conference after posting a 53-44 win over neighborhood rival Berea-Midpark on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs (9-1, 6-0 SWC) had a narrow 43-42 lead heading to the fourth quarter, but outscored the Titans 10-2 down the stretch to seal the victory.

Berea-Midpark put themselves in an early hole with eight turnovers in the first quarter. And when Olmsted Falls’ Ryan Higginbotham nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, the Bulldogs had an 18-11 lead.

Berea-Midpark scored the first three baskets of the second quarter, but Olmsted Falls came right back with a 10-2 run and led by a score of 28-19. The 9-point Bulldog lead was their largest until the game’s final margin. The Titans managed to keep the game close with a 16-9 rebounding advantage in the first half, but trailed 30-24 at the intermission.

Berea-Midpark (4-4, 2-4 SWC) hung with Olmsted Falls in the third quarter and took the lead 42-41 when Jalen Dixon banked in a layup with 0:10 to play. But again the Bulldogs had an answer; this time it was Braden Galaska with a basket as time expired to put Olmsted Falls back in front 43-42 heading to the final eight minutes.

The Titans seemed to have momentum on their side, but went completely cold in the fourth quarter. A basket early in the quarter by Trevor Bycznski was Berea-Midpark’s final score of the night. Olmsted Falls converted five out of seven free throws in the final period as they closed out the win.

The Bulldogs’ scoring leader was 6-foot junior guard Eric Hanna with 16 points. Galaska, a 6-foot-1 junior guard, was right behind with 12, and 6-foot-3 Tom Lloyd, the lone senior on the Olmsted Falls varsity squad, chipped in 10.

Berea-Midpark was paced by Dwayne Holland. The 6-foot junior hit for a career-high of 14 points. The Titans kept up their strong rebounding throughout the game, finishing with a 30-18 edge. But they couldn’t sustain enough offense to overtake the Bulldogs.

Berea-Midpark                                     11            13            18            2   =     44

Olmsted Falls (home)                         18            12            13          10   =     53