COPLEY: In a perfect we-told-you-so scenario, the Copley basketball team spoke clearly on Tuesday.
Actually, the Indians didn’t just speak. They screamed at the top of their lungs with a convincing 86-53 victory over visiting Wooster.
Despite a regular-season winning streak that reached 46 consecutive games with the victory, the Indians have been snubbed, scorned, ignored, shunned and overlooked by the pollsters all season as they failed to crack the top 20 of the AP Division I state poll.
And they didn’t fare well in the voting for the sectional/district tournament based in the Canton Civic Center, where they have been seeded fourth,
Oh, did we mention that Wooster (20-2) was ranked seventh in Ohio in the final state poll released this week? And that the Generals are the No. 3 seed in front of Copley in Canton?
Some things just don’t make any sense.
“I have no idea why we don’t get the recognition we deserve,” said junior guard Brian Roberts, the catalyst on Tuesday with 27 points, four steals and four rebounds. “We can’t worry about that. All we want to do is go out and strive to be the best we can be. But I think this was a statement game for us. We looked at Wooster as being the best team on our schedule.”
Austin Brenner, Roberts’ running mate in the backcourt, finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and three steals and junior Anthony Dente, son of coach Mark Dente, came off the bench to score 15 points, all on 3-point shots.
“Honestly, I have no idea,” Brenner responded when asked why the Indians (21-0) have been neglected. “Maybe it’s our schedule and that our league may not be as good as it usually is. But all we can do is play. When the tournament rolls around, rankings won’t matter.”
If there is any downside to the Indians, it comes in the size department, with 6-foot-5 sophomore Sam Emich and 6-4 junior Moritz Plescher being the lone starters taller than 6-2. However, Emich pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds and Plescher and 6-2 Jacob Williams combined for eight against the taller Generals, leading Copley to a 38-27 advantage.
“We didn’t play very well, especially early,” said Wooster coach Mike Snowbarger. “Part of that is due to Copley. Give them credit. They came out as the aggressor. We gave them too many open looks and they made us pay.”
Junior Calvin Blair led Wooster with 16 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Reserve Devon Holmes scored 12 and senior Peyton Bennington finished with nine.
Copley made 10 of its first 16 shots and stormed to a 28-16 lead after one quarter. The lead eventually dwindled to 10 at the half, but the Indians took no prisoners at the outset of the third quarter.
They scored 17 of the first 21 points, including 12 in a row, to build a 59-36 lead. Roberts, Brenner, Emich and KeShawn Hill combined for the 12-point blitz the Generals could not stop.
The Indians will travel to Green on Friday to close the regular season, looking to put the finishing touches on a second consecutive undefeated regular season.
“The kids want to close this out, but this was a big game for us,” the older Dente said. “I think we showed that we can play with just about anyone.”
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