Canton, Ohio - On Wednesday evening the Cuyahoga Heights Red Wolves faced off against the Beachwood Bison. This was the Division III regional semifinal with both teams looking to move on. Beachwood ended the regular season at 17-8 while Cuyahoga Heights finished 22-3.
With the first shot Nate Lurie hit a left-handed floater giving the first points to Beachwood. However, Cuyahoga Heights took the lead with a 3-pointer from Kaelib Graaf. At the end of the first the game was tied at 12 a piece.
To start the second quarter both sides had a bit of a slow start. Neither side could generate much offense for a bit. However, that changed as Cuyahoga Heights went on a fast 5-0 run within less than a minute to take a 25-19 lead into halftime.
To start the third the Red Wolves continued their strong defense, getting steals and blocks often. Cuyahoga Heights was also beating the Bison on the glass, getting multiple offensive boards this quarter.
Cuyahoga Heights went on a huge 7-0 run, going up by double digits at one point. The score was 40-27 in favor of Cuyahoga Heights at the end of the third.
To start the fourth Cuyahoga Heights continued their run scoring a quick three points. The Red Wolves had a comfortable lead, and the game looked like it was well in hand.
As for Beachwood, their offense and defense became sluggish. At one point, they allowed a wide open dunk from not running in transition. They were also hurt by multiple turnovers and looked like a defeated team throughout the fourth.
Cuyahoga Heights cruised to a 58-33 Regional semi-final win. They were led by Nate Biggers who dropped 21 points. Beachwood’s Josh Jones had 10 in a losing effort.
They advance to the Division 3 Regional Final to face the winner of the Lake Catholic vs Lutheran East matchup. The game will be played Saturday night at the Canton Fieldhouse at 7:00 PM.