(February 27th, 2015) – STRYKER: A pair of seniors lead the Panthers of Stryker to a home victory during their last home game of their high school careers.
With the Hilltop Cadets stopping by, Stryker was able to take the win 58-45.
Out of the gate, the West Unity boys got off to a strong start, a much needed happening if one is to win on the road. The Cadets pulled out to a narrow 12-10 advantage by the conclusion of the first period. Stryker was quick to organize a counterattack, however. They took the second quarter, thanks to a 23-13 effort on the part of the Panthers. At the half, Stryker held a 33-25 lead.
The Panther boys were able to put even more distance between themselves and their guests from West Unity in the third frame. Outscoring their opponents 14-6, Stryker was able to enjoy a 47-31 lead heading into the fourth stanza. Hilltop fought hard to get back into the game, but the Panther offense would not allow them to make up enough ground to give them a chance to win. After a 14-11 showing to close out the game, Stryker secured the 13 point win.
Parker Ruffer, a senior for the Panthers, was a major reason for the Stryker victory. The 6’5” member of the 1,000 points club tacked on 29 more points to his career total, using his size to score 11 field goals from the interior of the Hilltop defense. Classmate Tanner Clingaman also reached double digit scoring. The senior managed 13 points to help assure the win. Austin Grisier, a third senior for Stryker, had 6 points.
Sophomore Quinn Smith led the Cadet scoring effort, putting up 14 points in the loss. The guard did all of his damage from within the arc, connecting on 7 two-point field goals. Jalen Towers was right there with his younger teammate. The Hilltop senior earned 13 points against the stout Stryker defense. Another sophomore, Tim Maneval, knocked down a trio of triples as he totaled 10 points for the Cadets.