Health & Fitness
Sharon Basketball Blows Past Canton and Into Playoffs
The Eagles finish the regular season on a six-game win streak and taking a 13-7 record into the state tournament.
The Sharon High boys basketball team is flying high into the postseason on a six-game win streak after steaming to a 70-44 victory over Canton in the regular season finale on Wednesday night at Eagle Gymnasium.
Sharon dominated the Davenport Division duel from the opening tap and never looked back. The Eagles jumped out to an early lead over the Bulldogs and continued thereafter to stretch their advantage.
Sharon senior captain Ian Beach said, “Great win. We came out hot; they had single-digits [5 points] the whole first quarter. We just played our roles, caused turnovers – that’s what we do best.”
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Using a full-court press, the Eagles racked up 15 steals. Offensively, Sharon worked the ball inside effectively, to the tune of 17 assists.
Sharon maintained a 20-plus point lead for the majority of the game, allowing starters to rest for much of the fourth quarter. No Eagle played over 22 minutes.
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“It was great to see everybody getting involved, getting minutes,” Beach said. “Finally, we got an easy one; we have a habit of making them closer than they should be. But tonight was good.”
After a spurt of six consecutive victories over nine days, Sharon (13-7) will have nearly a week off from games before opening the Div. II tournament next week (date, opponent, and location TBA), possibly with a home contest.
Canton qualified for the Div. III postseason earlier this week and will similarly await its playoff seeding on Friday.
Eagles junior guard Brian Mukasa says that a more well-rounded attack has been crucial to Sharon’s recent stretch of excellent play. “People are playing well - more people are getting involved.
“Before, it was me and Jimmy just doing what we do. But now, everyone is really getting into it - the ball is moving, bodies are moving. It’s good basketball,” Mukasa added.
Beach says that after a seven-game win streak [Dec. 27-Jan. 15], then a midseason slump followed by the recent success, the Eagles are primed for a strong playoff run.
“We’ve got strides going into the tournament. Couldn’t ask for anything more – crew is great. Great team. We have all the momentum, really. Everyone wants to win and just keep it rolling,” Beach said.
“We are peaking at the right time,” Mukasa said. “We’re jelling, coming together, playing well, flying around. It’s good.”