Crestwood overcomes adversity for a thrilling 71-70 win over Rootstown

MANTUA, OH- On Friday night in Mantua a pair of Chagrin Valley Conference and Portage county rivals squared off as the Crestwood Red Devils hosted the Rootstown Rovers in front of a standing room only packed house. The Red Devils came in with some adversity against the 7-5 Rovers as leading scorer and rebounder Angelo Dinardo who was out with an illness. Crestwood would mount a 4th quarter comeback and come away with a thrilling 71-70 win.

The Rovers jumped out to a 4-0 lead after baskets by Dean Abdlrasul and Blake Mullally. Colton Mayle would then go on a personal 6-0 run giving the Red Devils a 6-4 lead. Abdulrasul and Mayle both scored again before a Mayle free throw split ended the scoring in a low scoring 1st quarter that saw Crestwood take a 9-6 lead after one.

Both teams picked it up offensively in the 2nd. The Red Devils held a 13-10 lead early in quarter two before Ethan White scored back to back baskets for the Rovers giving them a 14-13 lead.

Ethan White with the nice drive and score for the Rovers in the 2nd

The lead exchanged hands on the next seven possessions before the scrappy Red Devils showed some relentlessness on the boards with Mayle putting back the 2nd offensive rebound for a score and a 21-20 Red Devils lead.

Colton Mayle with a putback off of an offensive rebound in the 2nd

At the other end the Rovers Ethan White would get fouled on a three point attempt and sink all three putting the Rovers back on top 23-21. Crestwood would take a brief 27-26 lead after a Jackson Mertz score before a pair of Rovers free throws by Troy Kopac gave them a 28-27 lead heading into the break. Thirteen lead changes in the 2nd quarter shows you how tightly contested the 1st half was.

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Crestwood would open the 2nd half with a three ball by Michael Kalista before Dean Abdulrasul would score inside with a foul for an and-one conversion and a 31-30 lead.

Dean Abdlrasul with the score and foul in the 3rd for Rootstown

After an Ethan White score put the Rovers up 33-30, Mayle went on another personal 6-0 run to put the Red Devils up 36-33. Rootstown would tie it back up at 37-37 before a Blake Mullaly and-one put the Rovers back on top 40-37.

Blake Mullaly scores with a foul in the 3rd for Rootstown

After Crestwood came back to tie it up at 40-40, the Rovers would end the 3rd quarter on an 11-3 run capped off by an Ethan White corner three to put the Rovers up 51-43 heading into the final quarter.

After Mayle opened up with a tree for Crestwood, Rootstown scored four straight to take a 55-46 lead. Crestwood was not ready to roll over. They would go on a quick 10-2 run started by an and-one conversion by Mayle cutting the deficit to 57-51. The Red Devils would make it a two point deficit following a big three from Michael Kalista at 61-59. The teams exchanged free throws before Carson Hayn but Rootstown up 65-60 with a score inside. Colton Mayle would get a nice contested bucket inside for the Red Devils on the next possession pulling them within three at 65-62.

Colton Mayle with a big drive and score for Crestwood in the 4th

Following some nice Red Devils defense, Michael Kalista would hit a huge three tying the game at 65 with 2:30 to play.

Another Rovers empty possession led to a Joel Custer score for a 67-65 Red Devils lead. Rootstown would cut it to a one point game at 69-68 after a free throw split. They were forced to foul Kyle Shelhammer who missed the pair of free throws, but Custer was there for a massive rebound to keep possession. Shelhammer was fouled once again for a chance at redemption. This time he knocked them both down to put Crestwood up 71-68 with under 10 seconds to play. Rootstown had one last shot but Mullaly missed a three and then scored off of his rebound giving us the final score of 71-70 in favor of the Red Devils.

Colton Mayle led the way with 33 points while Michael Kalista had 12 points and Joel Custer 10 points.

Dean Abdlrasul led the Rovers with 21 points.

Crestwood goes for four in a row on 1/20 vs Perry while the Rovers look to bounce back against East Palestine.