High school basketball invitationals during the winter holidays are as abundant as Christmas trees and festive lights. For the Carrollton boys’ basketball team, that meant playing four games last week, two of which were showcase invitationals.
The Warriors made an impressive showing, winning three out of four games, including a standout performance at the Todd Kalivoda Holiday Showcase.
Maysville 82, Carrollton 74
Carrollton began the week at the OHSBCA Shot Clock Shootout, a three-day event held Dec. 27-29 at the Canton Memorial Field House. On the first day, the Warriors faced a tough matchup against Zanesville Maysville, last year’s Division II state championship runner-up. Despite falling 82-74, Carrollton pushed the Panthers to the final minute.
Trailing 75-72 with 90 seconds remaining, the Warriors had possession and a chance to tie, but they couldn’t convert.
Carrollton led 21-18 after the first quarter but fell behind in the second as Maysville took a 43-40 halftime lead. The Panthers extended their advantage to 12 points in the third quarter, but the Warriors battled back to cut the deficit to three points in the final minutes.
Head coach Mike Aukerman attributed the loss to Maysville’s superior shooting.
“The difference in the game was Maysville was 14-of-27 from three and 14-of-19 from the free-throw line, while the Warriors shot 7-of-30 from three and 5-of-10 from the free-throw line,” Aukerman said.
Jayven Johnson and Tayvian Johnson led Carrollton with career-high performances, scoring 21 and 16 points, respectively. Jayven also grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double. Andrew Birong added 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Braylen Murphy contributed 15 points.
Gavin Ferguson scored 24 points for Maysville (7-1), and Gator Nichols added 18.
Carrollton 78, Union Local 45
The Warriors rebounded the next night at the Todd Kalivoda Holiday Showcase, held at Toronto High School, with a dominant 78-45 win over Belmont Union Local.
Carrollton built a 20-9 first-quarter lead and never looked back, extending the margin to 20 points by halftime. Birong had a monster game, scoring 21 points and hauling in 20 rebounds. Murphy led all scorers with 24 points, including six three-pointers, while Jayven Johnson (12) and Everett Brooks (10) also reached double figures.
The Warriors controlled the boards with a 38-22 rebounding advantage. Billy Schumacher led Union Local (6-3) with 12 points.
Carrollton 67, Salem 49
After celebrating the New Year, Carrollton returned to action on Jan. 3 with an Eastern Buckeye Conference (EBC) matchup at Salem. The Warriors cruised to a 67-49 victory behind a career-high 30 points from Murphy, who hit seven three-pointers and grabbed nine rebounds.
Carrollton took a 17-7 lead after the first quarter and never trailed. Birong added another double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds, while Tayvian Johnson scored 12 points and dished out six assists.
Deontay Steele led Salem (4-6, 1-2) with 18 points.
Carrollton 48, Sandy Valley 46
The Warriors capped the week with a thrilling 48-46 win over Sandy Valley on Jan. 4. Playing at home for the first time in three games, Carrollton rallied from a seven-point deficit in the final quarter to secure the win.
Murphy delivered the game-winning basket, driving to the hoop with eight seconds left to break a 46-46 tie. Brooks also stepped up in the absence of Birong, scoring a career-high 14 points, including four three-pointers.
Luke Williams led Sandy Valley (4-6) with 14 points.
With three wins in four games, Carrollton improved to 5-4 overall and 2-1 in the EBC. The Warriors will look to build on their momentum as they continue conference play.