Talk to head coach Rob Genco and he'll tell you. Speak with any of the players and they all say the same. They don't care who does the scoring, that's Silver Creek's mantra. Get out in transition, move the ball with passes, and knock down shots. The result is often a different leader in the box score each night. It's also not unusual to see all five starters in double figures. That's what we saw last night – a hot hand being fed by four other generous hands, and the hot hand feeding back. As long as the rim gets filled, it's all good.
Steve Marcey led Silver Creek's balanced attack with a game-high 20 points, in a 66-40 win against Randolph. With the victory, the Black Knights improve to 17-0 on the year and complete an unbeaten season in CCAA II.
In the early going, it was clear that Silver Creek's focus was to contain Cardinals' sophomore Bryce Morrison, who had gotten loose for 39 points on nine 3-pointers in the first meeting between the two. Zed Williams began the game guarding him and sure enough, the first time he found any space, he popped a '3'. Randolph was a focused team in the opening quarter, moving the ball well and getting back defensively. Despite a pair of treys from Marcey and three blocks from Black Knight's 6-7 sophomore Bill Brooks, the Cardinals trailed just 14-10 after one quarter.
After a '3' from Morrison gave Randolph a one point lead early in the second quarter, Silver Creek began to do what it does best – run & gun. After a basket by Williams gave the Black Knights the lead back, Silver Creek dialed up some defensive intensity that yielded turnovers and forced Randolph into difficult shots. Second chance points weren't an option, as Brooks & Williams secured every rebound and had the Black Knights out in transition, where they spread the floor and bang 'em for downtown. Three straight 3-pointers fell next for Silver Creek (Kaine Kettle, Brennan White, & Marcey), including Marcey converting a four-point play. It was all part of a 23-2 run that ended with Marcey popping another '3' and then dishing the assist of the season. Marcey charged full speed into the lane on a break and as quickly as he made up his mind, wrapped a pass around his back in stride to White, who finished with the layin, making it 37-17. Marcey scored 17 of his 20 in the first half and 11 of those 17 during his team's scoring burst.
The second half saw Silver Creek pick up where it left off, beginning with a 9-2 run that pushed the score to 48-22, the result of a 32-7 swing in 10 minutes of play. The Cardinals were able to stop the bleeding when Mitchell Maycock connected from beyond the arc at the same time Brooks was hit with a technical that forced him to the bench with his fourth personal foul. Randolph took advantage of the extra room in the paint and closed the quarter by scoring the last 14 points, closing the gap to 48-36.
Randolph would manage just four points the rest of the way, as the Black Knights got back to what built their lead in the first place. Silver Creek outscored the Cardinals, 18-4 in the fourth quarter, before the game gave way to the reserves in the final minutes.
Kettle finished with 13 points , Brooks scored 12 points to go with 15 boards & four swats, Williams netted 11 points with eight rebounds & seven assists, and White chipped in 10 points.
Randolph was led by 14 points from Nathan Beaver, while Morrison finished the night with 13 points.
-centercourt
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