Portland Boys Come Up Short

Portland spent most of the game chasing Canton. When the Highlanders finally caught up and moved ahead, they could not sustain their momentum.

The Warriors regained control and pulled away late for a 65-50 victory Tuesday night in Canton in the first of two meetings between the inter-conference rivals. They got hot from outside after Portland pulled ahead 39-37 on Kyle Philipchik's three-pointer with 2:42 left in the third quarter.

Mike Pepin connected on three three-pointers and led all scorers with 23 points. Three other Warriors – Evan Camporeale, Nick Quattro and Chad Huff – each added 11 points. George Sirigos paced Portland with 18 points. Kevin Philipchik scored 13 and Kyle Philipchik 11, both off the bench instead of their usual spots as starters.

Sirigos made two free throws not quite two minutes into the fourth quarter, which moved Portland within 43-41. But Camporeale gave Canton (3-0) some breathing room by making two three-pointers. The Highlanders (1-3) responded with two baskets by Sirigos and a three-point play by Kyle Philipchik and the Warriors' lead was down to 52-48 with 3:45 to play.

Pepin sank another three-pointer and Portland managed just two points the rest of the way.

"We got too much into one-on-one play and that's not good team basketball," Portland coach Nate Turner said. "If we play together as a team, good things can happen. If we do individual things, this is what happens, a 15-point loss."

Canton coach Eric Deegan said his team made a defensive adjustment, which led to the end of the Highlanders' run.

"We played too tight on them early in the game and they blew past us. Then we started to stop their penetration, and that kept them from getting more chances to score.

"That helped us and it frustrated them a little," Deegan said.

Deegan said the three three-pointers were pivotal in restoring the momentum to Canton.

Portland spent too much time playing catch-up. The Highlanders were down 10-1 midway through the first quarter. They scrambled back to trail 13-11 entering the second quarter.

Canton began to pull away early in the second quarter but a three-point shot by Kyle Philipchik cut Canton's lead to 21-19 with a little more than two minutes left in the half. But, as was the case throughout the game, the Warriors replied soon after. Quattro made his only three-point shot and it was back to a five-point deficit for the Highlanders.

The half ended with Portland trailing, 29-21.

"Our big guys played well," Turner said. "George and Mike [Leslie] played extremely well offensively and defensively.

"When we came back, we did it with five guys playing together. That's the only way to cut the deficit. And we did that in spurts. We just kept trying too hard to make things happen. The effort is there. There's just not enough passing."

Canton visits Portland on Jan. 8. The Highlanders play host to Cromwell, their third game in three nights, at 7 p.m. before a 10-day break.