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Valley contingent has Titans winning

Westminster off to 3-0 start

Tribune Chronicle / John Vargo Westminster College men’s basketball coach Kevin Siroki, center, a Mineral Ridge graduate, talks to his players during a game Saturday in New Wilmington, Pa. The Titans have several players from the Mahoning Valley.

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. — The blue door opened to the Westminster men’s basketball locker room. The words Family Mission in Progress highlighted a narrow vertical poster centered on the entrance to the Titans’ sanctuary.

You could hear the Westminster team celebrating, chanting, “Go Issac. Go Issac.”

Then, no more than 30 seconds later, head coach Kevin Siroki ducked out. Isaac Stamatiades was the center of attention and music was blaring as the Titans coach came out in the hallway — balancing two pieces of pizza in one hand.

Siroki was coming out to talk about his team, but finding his own happy place, which was the empty Titans football locker room a little ways away.

There he talked about his team having a historic 3-0 start (first since Siroki has been with the Titans) after Saturday’s 38-point win against Penn State-Beaver.

Nine of the 20-player roster is from the Mahoning Valley, a point of emphasis for Siroki and his all-local coaching staff. Siroki is a Mineral Ridge High School graduate. Brian Danilov, a former coach at Campbell, Ursuline and Cardinal Mooney high schools, is one assistant coach, while Chivas Whipple, a standout at the former Rayen School, is the other.

Last year’s Titans team went 17-12, first time in 10 years Westminster had a winning season.

There was Canfield native Jarret Vrabel hanging around the post, taking a mid-range jumper out of a half-court set.

East graduate Deontay Scott had a quick putback, utilizing every bit of his 6-foot-4 frame around the basket.

Then, Cameron Kane-Johnson, Niles’ all-time leading scorer, shoots, makes a 3, falls backward and slides on his butt — something Red Dragon fans saw early and often from the prolific scorer. He led Westminster on Saturday with 18 points.

This is a microcosm of this team’s success, which hopes to grow in representation of Mahoning Valley talent.

“We’re going to keep building on it,” Siroki said.

NCAA Division III teams do not offer scholarships like they do in Division I and II.

So, Siroki and his staff need to find true student-athletes, those who are academically and athletically strong.

Malique Burton, a 6-10 freshman who weighs around 300 pounds and looks more like an offensive lineman, went up for dunk late in Saturday’s game. A two-handed power slam might have resulted in a shattered backboard. Instead, he gently laid the ball in for the team’s 99th point.

The former Parma Heights Holy Name standout shows what kind of strength this team has on its bench.

“When we put our starters back in, we’re running the other team down,” Siroki said. “We’re imposing our will on them. You can see our guys are big and strong. That’s been great.”

It would’ve been great if the Titans could’ve reached triple figures against Penn State-Beaver.

Anthony Ritter, a South Range graduate who came off the bench, hit two 3-pointers late to push the Westminster score to 97.

The third attempt was off the mark and so was a mid-range jumper.

Burton had the final points as the Westminster bench was cheering on their on-floor teammates to eclipse the century mark.

“I was feeling the third one,” Ritter said. “I was hoping we’d get that triple digits.”

Westminster, which plays Tuesday at Youngstown State, isn’t concerned about the individual statistics. The Titans had 13 of their players score Saturday. Winning is first and foremost for Westminster, not padding the stat book.

Kane-Johnson taking quality shots, passing those up when he doesn’t have one.

Ritter not fretting about making his third 3 and going over 100 points.

The collective unit and record outweighs all.

“It’s not me, it’s we,” Siroki said. “It’s not I, it’s us.”

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