Friday night’s game at Ellet featured a come-from-behind victory for Buchtel and a record for Orangemen senior A.J. Gareri.
Gareri scored a game-high 19 points to become Ellet’s all-time leading scorer, but five Buchtel players scored in double figures to propel the Griffins to a 78-65 triumph.
Senior Justis Craig, junior Aamir Solomon, sophomore Jonathan King, junior Brandon McGinnis and junior Isaiah Rogers combined to score 66 points.
Gareri finished the night with 1,112 career points, two points ahead of Bobby Smith, a 1964 Ellet graduate.
“It is nice to get the record obviously, but I just wish it could have come in a win,” Gareri said after receiving an autographed basketball from Bobby Smith and posing for pictures with the Ellet legend. “This is an honor. I know he was a great player.”
Smith congratulated Gareri and dubbed the senior “the No. 1 man” on Ellet’s scoring list. Gareri also grabbed six rebounds for Ellet (8-2, 5-1). Senior Marquis Smith scored 15 points and senior Jaret Jones scored nine points.
Buchtel (7-3, 5-2) outscored Ellet 47-27 in the second half to overcome a 38-31 halftime deficit.
“Coach [Rayshon] Dent asked them at halftime if they are tired of coming over here and losing, or are they going to step forward and win?” Buchtel coach Stephen White said. “He really got on the kids along with coach [Mike] Williams. I was talking with them about the adjustments we need to make.
“I let my coaches coach and let them say what they had to say. Our kids went out and did what we told them to do. They attacked the basket and played defense. ... We also made 20-of-28 free throws, played hard and played tough.”
Craig led Buchtel with 18 points and four steals. Solomon scored 14 points, King scored 12 points and McGinnis and Rogers both scored 11 points.
“Our coach told us to play defense and get back when they try to cherry pick,” McGinnis.
Rogers grabbed 16 rebounds for Buchtel, which held a 46-34 edge on the boards.
“We played really good defense and moved the ball around in the second half,” King said. “We attacked the middle and scored or got fouled and made our free throws.”
Senior Tariq Vinson scored six points and senior Kevin Brown Jr. scored three points.
“Coach wanted us to tighten up on defense and push the ball at them,” Solomon said.
Said Rogers: “We need to keep working hard and stick together.”
Ellet seniors Marquise Bridges and Joe Williams each scored seven points, and junior Alfred Johnson totaled two points, eight rebounds and eight blocks.
“They played well,” Ellet coach Mark Fisher said of the Griffins. “They dominated the glass in the second half, played straight up man-to-man defense and outplayed us. We have to get better execution in our man offense.”
Fisher said he was happy to see Gareri get a scoring record.
“A.J. deserves that record,” Fisher said. “He has helped change our program. The record we have with him here is unbelievable compared to what it was when I took over as head coach seven years ago. ... We’ve been 20-4, 18-5, 13-9 and 8-2 during his four years.”
Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the #ABJVarsity high school blog at www.ohio.com/preps.