PANTHER SENIOR … Stryker’s Jacob Cadwell drives the lane in the first quarter. Cadwell had 12 of his game-high 14 points in the third quarter. (PHOTO BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
FAYETTE (January 4, 2024) – On a night when both teams were tactfully saying, not very good offensively, Stryker got 12 points from Jacob Cadwell in the third quarter to boost the Panthers into a 15-point lead, and a 34-21 win over Fayette.
“Our biggest concern was our patience on offense,” Stryker coach Tyler Woolace explained. “I was really proud of them here, and Fayette is going to be patient and I knew the score would be low and that’s ok.”
“We got some shots but didn’t finish but I thought we worked really hard on the defensive end and on the boards especially.”
In the first it was Daniel Donovan hitting back to back hoops including a triple to get the Panthers up 9-4, then brother William did the same in the second to double up Fayette 16-8 at intermission.
Neither team shot it well at all in the opening half as Stryker was just 7-24 while Fayette shot 4-17 from the floor.
Xander Dunnett scored six third quarter points for Fayette but the Panthers put the clamps on the Eagles top scorer, Wyatt Mitchell, allowing him just one field goal on the evening.
“Our biggest focus was Wyatt obviously,” said Woolace. “The kid is a great ball player, he is smart being a coach’s kid and he had a heckuva game against us the first time so that was a major goal for us. A major goal to hold him to 10 points or under and we did and that was obviously good for us.”
“We did a job keeping him contained because he is explosive, he knows what to do with the ball when he gets it and I thought we did a really nice job.”
While the Panthers were holding the Eagles in check, Cadwell knocked home five third period field goals.
The senior guard hit a pair of three-pointers, canned a midrange jumper, scored on a stick back, then nailed a pull up jumper with five seconds left to give the Panthers a 34-19 bulge heading into the fourth.
“We don’t need to shoot all these contested runners and contested threes and stuff like that,” Woolace said of the Panthers 58% third quarter.
“Our guys are good enough to get open shots and that has been a big focus. We haven’t played since two days before Christmas so it’s been a long time off since (a game situation).”
Cadwell ended up with 14 on the night to lead all scorers. Dunnett had 10 as the only Eagle in double figures.
The Panthers (6-4, 1-0 BBC) shot 7-12 in the third but ended up at only 33% for the game. Fayette (3-6, 0-1 BBC) was a frigid 8-34 for 23%.
STRYKER (34) – M. Donovan 0; Myers 0; LaBo 2; Cadwell 14; D. Donovan 9; Froelich 0; W. Donovan 7; Batterson 2; Montague 0; Totals: 10-4-2 – 34
FAYETTE (21) – Lavinder 0; Leininger 2; Mitchell 5; Bieber 0; Beauregard 0; Jacob 2; Goble 2; Dunnett 10; Totals: 8-5 – 21
STRYKER 9 7 18 0 – 34
FAYETTE 4 4 11 2 – 21
JUNIOR VARSITY: Fayette, 33-26