Bears Bounced by Top-Seeded Rams

NEW PORT RICHEY - The No. 4 seeded Central Bears (7-20) basketball team was eliminated in the 5A-7 semifinals by host and top-seeded Ridgewood (22-3) Friday night, 75-47.

The Bears managed to keep it close enough in the fist half, staying within nine at halftime.

The size difference became a factor in the third quarter when the Rams outscored the Bears 20-10, riding the shoulders of junior forward Lukas Poderis when he scored eight of his 26 points, mostly coming on the offensive boards, putting back Ridgewood misses.

Poderis and Central's junior guard, Darryn Frazier, shared the scoring honors with 26 on the night.

The Rams veteran Head Coach Gary Anders, who celebrated his 500th prep win, said, "I thought we made a lot of bad mistakes, but they didn't necessarily hurt us. We didn't execute real well at times."

Ram run

The game began with Ridgewood charging out to a 10-0 lead; Frazier was able to get the Bears on the board with two free throws to make it 10-2.

CHS sophomore guard Guan Whitsett followed with a jumper from the outside, 12-4.

Central tried to stay close when sophomore Joseph Lula tipped one in to cut the lead to six.

Frazier hit on one of his two three-pointers from behind the arc, at the buzzer, to keep the margin at eight, 17-9.

The Bears began the second quarter with a mini-run when Frazier drove into the lane for two, plus one getting the foul, to convert a three-point play.

With 6:27 left in the half, Frazier stole the ball and went the length of the court for another lay-up, cutting the lead, 17-14.

At that point the Rams called a timeout. Coach Anders regrouped his warriors and Central never really came close after that.

Central's second-year mentor, Eric Hayes, described the action, "We just couldn't put it all together. The defensive end, that's what hurt us. Second and third shots."

RIDGEWOOD 75, CENTRAL 47
Qtr scoring 1 2 3 4
Central 9 13 10 15 -- 47
Ridgewood 17 14 20 24 -- 75
CENTRAL (47) - Rogers 0 2-3 2, Acosta 0, Sheffield 0 0-2 0, G. Rodriquez 0, Barnes 2 0-0 4, Loreston 0, Frazier 9 6-7 26, Fulton 2 0-0 4, J. Lula 2 0-1 4, Winsett 2 1-2 5, M. Lula 1 0-0 2, P. Rodriquez 0. Totals 18 9-15 47.
RIDGEWOOD (75) - Vasquez 2 0-0 4, Tolliver 0, Verra 1 0-0 3, Satran 3 1-2 7, Jones 5 0-0 10, Zio 4 0-2 8, Rauh 0 0-2 0, Carrero 0, Koos 1 0-0 3, Lawrence 2 0-0 4, Poderis 10 6-9 26, Arline 3 4-4 10, Reardon 0. Totals 31 11-19 75.
3-point field goals - CEN 2 (Frazier), RW 2 (Verra, Koos).
Total fouls - CEN 15, RW 15.
Fouled out - none.
Technicals - none.
Records - Central (7-20), Ridgewood (22-3).