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Fairview vs. Cuyahoga Heights boys basketball:…

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Saturday, January 20th 2024

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Fairview vs. Cuyahoga Heights boys basketball: Red Wolves’ Braylan McClardy, Cade Davies outscore Fairview, hand Warriors first loss of season

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By | mperezkrywany@morningjournal.com

Jan. 4 was Braylan McClardy’s and Cade Davies’ night. and there was little that Fairview could do about it in a Chagrin Valley Conference Metro matchup against Cuyahoga Heights.

The two guards combined for 56 points, resulting in a 74-53 win to hand Fairview its first loss of the season.

“(McClardy and Davies) were completely locked in, handling pressure, seeing the next pass,” Cuyahoga Heights Coach Michael Tartara said. “Defensively, they made certain adjustments from time to time. It was a team effort, but those two guys being able to put the ball in the hole makes such a big difference for us.”

Cuyahoga Heights, a defending Division III regional finalist, forced Fairview to play its game, which was slow and methodical. The Red Wolves patiently moved the ball around until they saw a good look at the basket and made the most of their opportunities.

“One of the things that we know is that in order to be successful, we need to know that the other team is playing defense for an extended amount of time,” Tartara said.

As Fairview’s time of possession was spent playing defense more, it decreased the number of possessions.

“(Cuyahoga Heights) play their style and they stick to it no matter what,” Fairview Coach Ryan Barry said. “You can’t get them out of it. You can’t speed them up. They are going to work at the pace that they want. They are going to run what they want. If they don’t have the first look, they will keep working at it. They are very well-coached.”

Each player reached career-high milestones, as McClardy scored 26 points and Davies with 30. McClardy also recorded seven assists and six rebounds.

“We have been waiting for this (night) for a really long time,” Davies said. “We have been putting in the effort in the offseason. We have a lot of new; good shooters coming up and great players overall. We knew coming in that (Fairview) was going to pressure us and we were going to get some open looks. It was about time that we could knock some down.”

Fairview kept pace to start the game, but Cuyahoga Heights shot its way to an 18-11 lead. McClardy and Davies scored all of its first-quarter points.

“They are very talented and they didn’t miss. That was crazy. But also there are things that we need to take accountability on. Our effort wasn’t there every time. We are better than that,” Barry said.

For a moment that seemed to have the duo under control, Red Wolves’ Zach Caleris stepped up to score all eight of his points in the second quarter.

Fairview’s leading scorer Will Allen (15 points) knocked down a 3-point shot, but McClardy responded with a 3-pointer of his own to retake the momentum, with a 39-27 halftime lead.

Cuyahoga Heights controlled the boards to outrebound Fairview, 26-18. Nine of his rebounds came on the offensive end against Fairview, which is usually at a size disadvantage in its games.

“When we rebound the ball, we know that we have the advantage over the opponent,” Davies said. “We knew coming in that we always have to rebound hard, with 100% effort. Today, it worked out and we were able to get some (offensive) boards and some defensive rebounds that kept (Fairview) off the boards.”

Fairview’s leading scorers were Collin Lucas (12 points) and Will Allen (15). Burke Lowry also contributed with 10 points and J.R. Beato (eight) totaled 10 assists for a near double-double.

This was Fairview’s first loss of the season, as it dropped to 5-1 (1-1 in CVC Metro). This was Fairview’s first game since its 74-58 win against Lake Catholic on Dec. 22. That was nearly two weeks off due to a game cancellation against Cleveland Campus International. However, that was not an excuse Barry wanted to entertain.

“I don’t like making excuses for my guys because we didn’t play for (the offseason) and we came out ready to go,” Barry said. “We missed layups and things that are a little uncharacteristic, but that is on us. We need to be prepared to play games.”

The Warriors will play their next game on Jan. 6 at home against Independence.

Cuyahoga Heights improved to 7-1 (1-1 in CVC) and won its fourth consecutive game. Its only loss of the season was a 59-57 overtime loss to Brooklyn. The Hurricanes will be the Red Wolves’ next opponent on Jan. 9.

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