Chardon vs. Cardinal boys basketball: Hilltoppers pull ahead early against Huskies for 73-52 victory
Jan. 3—After a late change in venue, Chardon aimed to make Cardinal's gym its home away from home. With control of the glass and a solid defensive game plan, the Hilltoppers took the early lead.
Add in a big second-quarter run, and Chardon ran away in its 73-52 victory.
The early edge for the Hilltoppers (5-2) came on the defensive end of the floor. A season ago when it played the Huskies, Chardon saw the duo of Jake Bean and Troy Domen keep Cardinal in the contest.
Coach Chad Murawski knew his team had a focus point on the defensive end and saw it come through in a big way as it kept Domen off the scoreboard for the first half.
It was a strong defensive showing and board control for @toppernation and head coach Chad Murawski knew that his team needed that against a strong Cardinal offense #NHBasketball pic.twitter.com/d39nsT91I0
— Ben Hercik (@BHercikNH) January 4, 2023
"They have two of the best players in the area, and they combined for 50 against us last season," Murawski said. "Trey (Liebhardt), Ethan (Faber) and Caleb (Hewitt) did a great job of picking them up and were able to find ways to keep them in check."
The Hilltoppers also took advantage of Cardinal's issues from the field, as they corralled 41 boards with several second-chance looks as well. They were led by the duo of Sammy Sulka and Kyle Palovich as they combined for 20 of those rebounds.
Palovich also was a threat to score in the post every time his teammates found him down low, as he finished with 14 points.
Last season as one of the leaders on the JV level, Murawski has seen him translate that to this season as well. With several close victories already this season, having that advantage inside has been a big asset.
"Kyle is a big energy guy," Murawski said. "He's embraced the challenges that have come his way. One of the things we really need him to do for us night in and night out is to control the boards. He's been off to a strong start in that aspect."
Chardon was led by Ethan Faber, who had 26 points, 16 of which came in the second half. Despite being a guard, Faber took several trips into the paint and found ways to finish at the rim.
While he was the hot hand against Cardinal, he knows he isn't the only one that the Hilltoppers need to rely on if they want to rack up points.
Ethan Faber (@ethanrfaber2) talks about his 26 point showing against Cardinal and how he was able to create shots for @toppernation #NHBasketball pic.twitter.com/eFEDRgStVw
— Ben Hercik (@BHercikNH) January 4, 2023
"Part of it is we have a lot of shooters but we also have a lot of guys that can find ways to score," Faber said. "I know that I can create some space and get nice looks. But if they close on me, I know that I can kick it to one of my teammates. Tonight I knew I had the advantage of being able to work one-on-one and had easier finishes. It was about creating lanes and getting to the paint."
Also in double figures for the Hilltoppers was Trey Liebhardt with 10 points.
For Cardinal (4-5), the early issues were too much from which to come back. Three Huskies came into the contest with 10 or more 3s made in the season and Coach Jon Cummins knows they can't just rely on the 3-ball if they are going to succeed.
They will need Bean and Domen to go inside and work more with Paul Gall on the boards and points in the paint.
"Our offense is predicated on getting looks from the outside," Cummins said. "Working inside out, penetrating and kicking and we have to figure out other ways to manufacture points. We're stagnant at times, and I need to do a better job as a coach in those situations. We need to be able to generate offense from any part of the court."
It was Jake Bean (13 points) and Ethan Detweiler (11) in double figures for Cardinal.
The Huskies look to snap their two-game skid when they host Mathews on Jan. 6. Chardon stays on the road as it goes to Riverside on the same date for a WRC clash.
