Margaretta falls into first-place with Willard atop SBC Bay Division
Margaretta boys basketball dropped into a first-place tie in the Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division after a lopsided setback Friday to Willard.
The sixth-ranked Polar Bears (Division III) had a one-game lead over the 10th ranked Crimson Flashes (Division II) heading into their showdown. Margaretta (16-3, 8-1) took the first game between the teams by 10 points in early January.
“Willard deserved everything that came their way [Friday],” Polar Bears coach Steve Keller said.
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Margaretta has one more game in the SBC Bay Division, home Friday for Edison.
“We still control our ability to cut down some nets with a win next Friday,” Keller said. “As a team, we have to scrap tonight and move on.”
The Polar Bears finished tied for third in the SBC Bay Division last season, behind defending champ Willard.
The Crimson Flashes (16-3, 8-1) controlled the game from the start Friday as Margaretta was unable to contain Max Dawson, who went for 25 points. Dawson made five 3-pointers.
The deep ball was a major key in the game. Willard connected on 16 of 20 3-pointers and the Polar Bears made only four.
Good shots for Margaretta were scarce as Willard forced off-balance shots from suboptimal.
The Polar Bears stared at a 24-point deficit at halftime, before the Crimson Flashes continued to pour it on in the second half. When the dust settled, Willard took a 77-39 victory.
“That’s done and over with,” Keller said. “We have to control ourselves and bounce back. We’re going to keep working and getting better.”
The Polar Bears rode a four-game winning streak into Friday with their previous loss coming more than two weeks ago to Perkins.
Julian Washington left the game after a massive fall going for a block in the third quarter. He limped to Margaretta’s bench and didn’t return.
Washington scored a team-high 13 points and Judah Keller added 10.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Margaretta OHSAA boys basketball
