Mentor likes to play tight on-ball defense and press teams into mistakes. Euclid found a way to break that in the first half of a Dec. 13 GCC clash. The Panthers utilized deep outlet passes off strong rebounds and inbound passes past half court to create a numbers game to lead after one and trail by just a possession at the half. An early run for the Cardinals put them up by eight, and that was enough to fend off a Euclid rally, 91-83. Mentor moves to 3-0, while Euclid falls to 0-3. While Mentor trailed for a majority of the first half, they took the lead at the break with a pair of Ayo Olulami free throws and a Kobe Frasure-Azzano bucket in the post late in the second. The Cardinals’ biggest issues in the first quarter were ball control and 3-point shooting. They had eight turnovers and were 1-for-5 from deep. That plus a lack of focus on the boards was the message Coach Bob Krizancic had to his team at the end of the opening frame. “We really tried to wear them down,” Krizancic said. “In our first two games, we had really good second and third quarters. We had to get two runs, which we did but we also gave them runs. Euclid is very athletic, very big and (Thai) Duncan is really good. So it was a tough opener in the league.” Mentor went ahead in the third with an early 17-8 run and re-established themselves inside. Frasure-Azzano had eight rebounds to lead the team. But he didn’t control the paint alone. He had help with Jack Kennedy, who had six rebounds, and Ayo Olulami with four. With a team that likes to control the game from the outside, Frasure-Azzano knows the paint control is just as important. “It makes it a lot easier,” Frasure-Azzano said. “Especially if we have guys breaking the press. I know that I can take on anybody one-on-one in the paint. So if they break the press, I’m confident that I can get it in whenever.” Frasure-Azzano finished with 24 points, just behind Olulami’s 25. Jack and Peter Kennedy had 12 points each, and Tony Katava had 11 in limited action. Yet Euclid continued to fight back. Euclid’s Jalin Acoff shoots in the lane Dec. 13 against Mentor. (Tim Phillis – for The News-Herald) Thai Duncan hit an open 3-pointer at the top of the key to stop the run and followed that up with a steal for a close-range jumper and a transition slam dunk that helped cut the deficit to three points. Katava hit a put back to get Mentor back up two possessions. Frasure-Azzano knew an early test would be a good thing and that Euclid’s length and defensive speed would provide just that. “They have a great coach and worked really hard in the offseason,” Frasure-Azzano said. “They got a lot faster and stronger on defense. We’re young and they were able to speed us up, get us into mistakes that we know we can’t have.” The Panthers made it a one-point game early in the fourth following a pair of Kye Owens free throws. Needing big plays, Mentor turned to the Kennedy brothers. Peter made a transition 3-pointer and a layup to make it a multi-possession game. Jack was in there fighting for rebounds all through the final frame. “Their energy and toughness is everything we need,” Krizancic said. “Every game that we get, especially wins, I think were getting confidence and some of those young guys are getting experience late in the game, which is huge. We’re trying to get that along with the depth. Euclid has quick hands on defense, they’re long and a lot of our younger guys couldn’t play at that level. But the game was at our pace.” While the loss keeps Euclid winless, the Panthers remain confident that a win is on the horizon. They played Lutheran East, the defending Division III state champion, to under a 10-point game for most of it. They have also battled regional round teams Brunswick and Warrensville Heights closer than expected. Coach Justin Dobbins is confident if the team continues focusing every day on every part of the game. “It says a lot for us. I put these guys through a lot of different things in the offseason,” Dobbins said. “I trained, pushed them and asked them to give me everything they had. They’ve responded in a positive way. Even with us dropping four to start, the young men were focused. They seem to have taken a liking to each other, and that’s key to the program’s growth.” The Panthers were led by Jalin Acoff with 23 points, while Thai Duncan had a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double. Trahmaine Dawson had 17 points and seven rebounds, and Jayden Basie had 10 points. It’s a short turnaround for the Cardinals as they take part in the Hardwood Classic against Massillon on Dec. 14. Euclid steps out of conference and travels to Mayfield Dec. 17. THE SCORE Mentor 91, Euclid 83