WARREN - After arguably their best performance of the season in a win over Warrensville Heights last Tuesday, the Warren G. Harding Raiders kept their foot on the pedal Friday.
It wasn't until the engine began to sputter a little in the second half that the Raiders showed signs of slowing down, but by then they had built a comfortable lead on the way to a 62-51 win over the Shaw Cardinals.
Raiders coach Steve Arnold liked most of what he saw in the Lake Erie League game as Harding improved to 9-3 and 5-2 in the LEL.
"We have to learn how to close out games better here at home," Arnold said. "I'm happy with the win. We couldn't have played a better first half. We shared the ball and played good defense."
It was all Harding in the first half, starting with a 21-point first quarter that produced a 12-point lead. The Raiders continued to play well in the second quarter in stretching their lead 19 points, 38-19, at halftime.
In the third quarter the Raiders were able to extend the lead to 26 points, 51-25. Harding took a 51-28 lead into the fourth quarter, when things got sloppy and the Cardinals were able to make the final score appear respectable.
One problem in the late going was the hit the Raiders took to their considerable depth. Osha Jackson and Delshawn Bell each went down with lower-leg injuries in the second half. Both players were helped off the court and weren't able to return.
Arnold is hoping that Jackson might be able to play Sunday when Harding plays Medina at Walsh College in Canton. Bell's injury appears more serious. He's likely to miss at least a couple of games.
"It's good to have depth, but we lost a little bit of it tonight," Arnold said. "I think some of the mistakes we had were because some guys might have gotten tired, and we became lackadaisical. We have to come in tomorrow and get better as we go."
Orlando Ervin is one of the backups that could play a bigger role if Jackson and Bell are out for any length of time. Ervin scored eight points.
"We just need to keep playing together," Ervin said. "I'm glad that we have that depth. We just have to keep working hard."
Arnold has been stressing the importance of playing with an unselfish attitude. It worked to near perfection in the win over Warrensville Heights, and the results were promising for close to three quarters last night.
"We're starting to make the extra pass more often now and playing together," Ervin said. "We're starting to share the ball and not being as selfish. Like coach Arnold says, 'Play together, and we're going to win.' "
Rasaun Smith made three 3-point shots to score 13 points for the Raiders, who also received 13 points for Rashid Gaston. The Raiders had a commanding 42-24 rebounding advantage.
The Cardinals were led in scoring by Cordell Smith, who finished with 15 points. David Gary added 10 points.
The Raiders won't have much time to regroup. They were scheduled for a morning practice today in preparation for an 11 a.m. game Sunday.
"I didn't like playing and having a week off and playing and having a week off," Arnold said. "I like having one game, a couple of days off, another game and a couple of days off. I'm cool with that. You get into a rhythm."
