Metea knocks out Bartlett in first half

If Tuesday night's boys basketball game at Metea Valley had been a boxing match, the Mustangs would be like the fighter who comes out early in the first round and doesn't let up until his opponent is knocked out.

Bartlett jumped out to a very early 9-3 advantage, and then No. 3 Metea took over from there. The Mustangs closed the opening quarter on a 28-0 run to lead 31-9 after the first eight minutes and went on to cruise to a 90-53 victory in a contest that saw the victors hit 17 3-point baskets.

Coach Bob Vozza said in games like this it's important for his team to keep learning and improving despite the outcome no longer in question. And that applies to all on the roster, who all saw playing time against the Hawks (10-11, 2-5 Upstate Eight Valley).

"You want to stay at a high pace, play defense and carry over the intensity the rest of the game," he said. "We talked to the juniors that we hold them to a high standard also because they are so talented."

During the first half the Mustangs (18-1, 7-1) played effective in-your-face defense, which helped lead to 13 first-half Bartlett turnovers, and they looked comfortable driving to the basket on offense. But it was the night of the 3-pointer for Metea and even Bartlett, which hit 7.

"A lot of those 3s came in sets that we were running. Our shots were falling," Vozza said.

Kenny Obendorf led his team from behind the arc with four for 12 points on the night. Milan Bojanic, who led Metea with 14 points, had three, as did Lashawn Cargo, who finished with 13 points.

Metea led 52-17 at intermission on 19-of-26 shooting from the field, while Bartlett struggled at 5 of 21.

Bartlett was led by senior Matt Chaltin, who finished with a game-high 23 points that included five 3-pointers. His 20 points in the second half were crucial to what Hawks coach Jim Wolfsmith considered much better play by his team. Bartlett was only outscored 38-36 in the final two quarters.

"We talked at halftime about playing an even second half. You aren't going to win being down by 40. We had a good second half. It was fun, they hustled and they played hard," he said.

Bartlett resumes play Saturday night at Neuqua Valley.

Metea, which travels to South Elgin on Saturday night, also got double-digit scoring performances from Ryan Solomon and Raysean Parker each with 12 points.