by Colin Harris

Reporter

Windham — January has been a difficult month for defending Portage Trail Conference County Division champion Streetsboro.

Thanks to losses to Woodridge and Mogadore, as well as a defeat at the hands of division-leading East Canton, the Rockets have played themselves into a corner in the division race.

At the very least, visiting Streetsboro closed January with a bang by defeating Windham 64-57 to begin what’s sure to be a string of critical County Division matchups to end the season.

“When you’re not playing your best basketball, going into a place like Windham can be a very tough thing,” said Streetsboro head coach Todd Muckleroy. “I know I haven’t had a lot of success in this building. So to get a win here is a great thing for the team.”

While Streetsboro (9-4, 7-3) got the win, a young Windham squad gave the quicker, stronger and more experienced Rockets all they could handle for the majority of the night.

The Bombers (4-9, 3-6) never let Streetsboro pull away, staying within two points of the lead until as late as the four-minute mark in the final quarter.

In defeat, freshman guard Matt Knight turned in a big performance, dropping a game-high 23 points — including four three-pointers.

Windham fielded a lineup with as many as three freshmen during the course of the evening. Missing the injured Kyle McManus, Bombers head coach Marty Hill was forced to experiment with some unfamiliar faces in big spots.

“I think [Jan. 29] was the closest we’ve come to playing 32 minutes all season,” said Hill. “What we lacked was experience. Our kids are getting better, but Streetsboro is a good team and they know how to apply pressure [in big moments].”

With the Bombers forced to foul as time ticked away, guard Leon Hedgepeth took full advantage of his trips to the line. The junior knocked down all eight tries in the quarter, finishing the night a perfect 10-of-10 from the stripe.

Hedgepeth finished with 16 points and three rebounds.

“We’ve struggled a bit at the line recently, but Leon is the guy we wanted in that position,” said Muckleroy. “He’s been very consistent shooting from the line and he did that for us [Jan. 29].”

Rockets sophomore forward — and usual starter — Ben Gency missed the Windham game with an injury. In his place, forward Mike Zitkewicz performed exceptionally well. Usually a role player, the senior exploited his size and fluid 15-foot jumper en route to a double-double (team-high 21 points and 11 rebounds.)

“With Ben [Gency] out, we needed Mike to step up and fill that role,” said Muckleroy. “We knew he could rebound, but we’ve worked on his shooting. He has really developed a nice jumper and he has been showing a good kiss off of the glass recently.”

Rockets forward Asante Banks was very effective in the win, chipping in 16 points.

In his return to Windham, guard Jay Lugo finished with four points. The senior put Streetsboro up 36-28 at halftime when he hit a three-pointer as time expired.

The Rockets earned a 60-43 win in the junior varsity contest. John Saucier had a game-high 16 points for Streetsboro.

The Rockets’ varsity team is scheduled to visit County Division rival Rootstown Feb. 5 before returning home to play Hudson Feb. 6. Both contests are set to begin at 7:30 p.m.

E-mail: charris@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-296-9657