Sentimentality seemed strong as yet another Flier basketball season at home came to an end, last Saturday night, with a loss to Sandusky, 76-58.
Sandusky came in with a 14-3 record. It was the first time they had played hoops on the Hangar floor. The Blue Streaks brought a high-powered, fast-moving and ball-sharing offense, and the 5-15 Fliers struggled to keep up.
Clyde, coming off a tough-to-take loss to Huron, bounced back hard in the opening quarter against the huge favorite. Five different boys put up scores with Tanner Davenport tickling the twine with seven points.
Sandusky, behind junior guard Jayreese Williams, also was in fine form in the new venue. The Blue Streaks of Coach Colin Irish led, 18-16.
Of late as well as too many times this season, the Fliers have gotten off to dismal starts, scoring less than 20 points by half multiple times. This night, the blue and gold managed 29 by intermission.
Stopping the athletic Sandusky team was no easy task, though. The Williams duo, Jayreese and Jadarion torched the nets and kept causing panic on the Clyde defense. At halftime it was Sandusky, 39-29.
The Williams tallied 17 of their team’s 21 points in the third, stretching the lead to 60-42.
Davenport and Rieman did all of the scoring for the Fliers. It soon seemed to become a ‘show’ between the gifted Zach and the flashy Jayreese more than a game. And, despite the Flier loss, basketball fans had to have enjoyed watching perhaps the best basketball duo seen in the Hangar all season.
Jayreese tallied a game high 31 points including 10-of-13 at the line. The sure bet for first team All-SBC Rieman nearly matched Jayreese with 29 points on 8-of-9 at the line, nine field goals and a single 3-pointer.
Like traditions of the past, all three Flier seniors — Zach Rieman, Austin Gale and Jake Jenne — started on senior night.
