Turner, Riders win big without Parks

ST. MARYS - With star big man Austin Parks out injured, junior Jace Turner got the chance to lead St. Marys.

Turner shot 10-for-10 from the field and totaled 21 points, Evan Angstmann added 19, and the Roughriders rolled to an 81-42 win over New Knoxville in the boys basketball season opener at Grand Lake Health System Court on Friday.

"Offensively, Knoxville didn't have any size, so we just jammed it inside, and Jace and Evan did a really nice job," St. Marys coach Dan Hegemier said.

After Andrew Leffel converted a hoop-and-harm to cut St. Marys' lead to 6-3 with 5:16 left in the first quarter, New Knoxville (0-1) didn't score again for seven minutes as the Roughriders built up an unassailable lead. Turner hit a turnaround jumper 15 seconds later, Angstmann added a bucket, and Cobain Owens got a steal and a breakaway layup to force Rangers coach Carson Manger to call timeout with 3:13 to go in the quarter.

New Knoxville committed three more turnovers, Turner scored four more points and Noah Payne hit a three on the left wing as St. Marys (1-0) went into the break up 19-3.

"We've always known that Jace Turner has a lot of ability," Hegemier said. "It's nice to see him break out and show that he can play."

Sullivan added a three to start the second quarter and the Rangers committed three turnovers before Tyler Lammers put back a miss by Jay Waterman to snap their drought with 6:10 left in the half. But the Roughriders' offense kept rolling, as Angstmann scored six more points and Sullivan hit another three to make it 38-15 after two.

Angstmann hit a kickout three from the right corner, then stole the ball and fed Jaden Lotz for a trey to make it 44-15 less than a minute into the third. After baskets by Turner and Lotz started the running clock, Leffel hit a three off an inbounds pass and then two free throws to bring the margin back under 30 with 5:25 left in the third.

Payne scored to make it 50-20 and Turner converted an and-one, and the clock ran for good. The Rangers kept close to the 30-point margin throughout the third, thanks largely to 10 points from Leffel, and Leffel hit another three early in the fourth before St. Marys pulled away again.

Leffel ultimately scored 20 points in the losing effort and went 7-of-7 from the free throw line.

"I think Andrew's shown a lot of improvements, as well as all of our guys," Manger said. "I think we've made some great strides since I came in last year, and all credit's due to these guys, how hard they work. They want to compete every day."

St. Marys hopes to have Parks back for its next scheduled game on Dec. 9, when the Roughriders welcome Defiance in the Western Buckeye League opener. New Knoxville gets another shot at its first win tonight when it returns home to face Anna.