Cedarville has had an off and on season so far. Be that as it may, every team has their good nights and their bad nights. On Tuesday, January 12, the Cedarville Sr Pirates had neither. Rather than good or bad, the Pirates chose to take Paris to the ol’ woodshed as they played one of their best games of the season and netting a win 67-39.
Let it be known that Paris is a solid team within their own right, but on that night the Pirates may have been the best team in the state on the court. Cedarville had two players who posted up unworldly stats in the game. Austin Cluck averaged over a point per minute as he scored 27 points in under 25 minutes of playing time. Scoring on 7 of his 11 three-point shots, Cluck was money in from outside the perimeter. He also assisted the Pirates with 3 rebounds and 4 assists. Sounds amazing right? What if there were two players like that. Well, there was!
There’s not just one Captain on this Pirate ship. Austin Swaim scored 22 points with just a hair over 25 minutes of playing time. Swaim swam past every Eagle who dared to guard him and left a trail of feathers in his wake. Swaim tacked on 3 rebounds and 3 assists to boot. Defensively, it was Darryl Kattich who marched Paris’s offense down the plank. Kattich played great defense against Paris’ best offensive player. Kattich pounded players on the boards almost like he forgot football season was over as he racked up a team-leading 6 rebounds and also made 4 assists. His defense and rebounding were a huge part of Cedarville’s success in the game.
Head Coach, Frank Cluck said “Overall, it was a great team effort for a big win. Cody Dickens and Dylan Cluck consistently did their job well and contributed significantly to getting open shots for the two Austins. Several players came off the bench and contributed to our success. This group played like a true team at all times and that’s what won this game for us.”
The win was great, but Cedarville knows there is plenty of basketball left to play. With a 5-7 overall record and a 2-2 conference record, the Pirates are looking to rebound on a slow start to the season. If they play light’s out like they did against Paris, who can stop their ship from sailing to pure dominance? The answer, no one! Friday, January, 15 the Cedarville Pirates will host Lifeway Christian.
Photos courtesy of Malinda Mizell
