Boys basketball: Elyria starts slow, gets pushed around inside in loss to Maple Heights

GARFIELD HEIGHTS — Elyria High fell behind quickly and never could get going against Maple Heights, a quick, aggressive and physical team Friday afternoon in the annual NEO Youth Elite Christmas Classic at Garfield Heights High School. "Give their two guards credit," coach Brett Larrick said after his Pioneers lost 75-60 to the Mustangs. "We knew coming in they were really, really talented. We wanted to take them away and make them take tough shots but we weren't able to do it. They controlled the whole game." Those two guards — seniors Kenyon Giles and Aaron Scales — had no fear of pulling up for long-range 3-pointers. Maple Heights hit 10 threes and a lot of the ones it missed were cleaned up inside. The Mustangs held a 36-26 rebound edge that felt wider. Maple Heights also took 60 shots to just 41 for Elyria. That meant the Mustangs could afford to shoot only 33 percent the way they were hitting the offensive boards. Giles, named the game's MVP, led the scoring with 18 points but Scales was right behind with 14. Freshman King Young added 17. All three hit a trio of 3-point shots. Scales led the rebound effort with seven but Anthony Whitt had a half-dozen and Kalin Allen pulled in five. Maple Heights (4-3) forced Elyria (3-3) into seven first-quarter turnovers and grabbed a 22-9 lead. The Pioneers played pretty much even after that but the damage was done. Elyria did manage to whittle the deficit to 24-17 with an 8-2 run to start the second quarter but the Mustangs never faltered despite sending the Pioneers to the foul line 22 times for the game with Elyria making 16. "They were more aggressive," Larrick said. "They wanted it more. Fifty-fifty balls, offensive rebounds. I guarantee we got killed on the boards and turnovers. "We were undisciplined in our box-outs and backside rebounding. It's something we've been harping on. We've gotten away with it but (Maple Heights) made us pay." Elyria finished with 18 turnovers while Maple had just 10. Many of the Pioneers' errors were under the Mustangs' basket where they were converted into easy layups. Taylor Blanton led the Pioneers with a season-high 20 points, hitting a half-dozen 3-pointers, but didn't get a whole lot of scoring help. Jayden Crutcher finished with a season-low 11 points. He made just one 3-pointer out of the six he tried. B.J. Todd was the only bright spot on the boards with nine. "We need more shooting," Larrick said. "(Blanton) hit six threes. He shot it well. We have to find a way to defend and rebound." Elyria beat Orange at last year's Classic and Revere the season before. Contact Tim Gebhardt at (440) 329-7135 or timothygeb@msn.com. Maple Heights 75, Elyria 60 MAPLE HEIGHTS (75):Aaron Scales 5-1-14, Kenyon Giles 7-1-18, Kalin Allen 6-0-12, King Young 6-2-17, Anthony Whitt 4-1-9, Tony Robinson 0-0-0, Quincy Haynes 1-0-3, Royce Brantley 1-0-2, Darion Rice 0-0-0, Donny Driscall 0-0-0. Totals 20-5-75.ELYRIA (60): Jermiah Daniels 1-4-6, Taylor Blanton 7-0-20, Jayden Crutcher 3-4-11, Xavier Church 0-0-0, B.J.Todd 1-4-6, Cam Bell 2-2-7, Laron Anderson-Oliver 0-0-0, Darrion Crawford 3-2-8, Pierre Alston 1-0-2, Nicolas Rogers 0-0-0, Freshus Turner 0-0-0. Totals 17-16-60. Maple Heights &emsp;&emsp; 22 21 23 9&emsp;— 75Elyria &emsp;&emsp;9 17 24 10&emsp;— 56 Three-point goals: Maple Heights 10-24 (Scales 3, Giles 3, Young 3, Haynes). Elyria 8-20 (Blanton 6, Bell, Crutcher). Field goals: Maple Heights 20-60 (33 percent), Elyria 17-41 (41 percent). Free throws: Maple Heights 5-10 (50 percent), Elyria 16-22 (73 percent). Rebounds: Maple Heights 36 (Scales 7), Elyria 26 (Todd 9). Turnovers: Maple Heights 10, Elyria 18. Fouls: Maple Heights 18, Elyria 11.