Venus — The Bulldogs took control of the game early and maintained their distance for about three-quarters before the Gladiators heated up in the fourth period to close the gap.

Friday night’s game marked the first appearance for senior TaMarcus Sheppard who was still moving gingerly after trying to recover from a high-ankle sprain that occurred during Italy’s final football game.

Gladiator head coach Brandon Ganske continues to tinker with his lineups and rotations and opted for a young but faster lineup to start against Venus, including sophomore Ryan Connor and freshman Kevin Johnson. Senior Bailey Walton was part of that starting lineup and had another solid game for the Gladiators.

As the game moved along, Cody Boyd proved to be a valuable weapon scoring inside as did Zain Byers who had his best outing of the season. Boyd provided one of Italy’s top plays in the first-half when he circled in for an offensive rebound and the put back after a free-throw miss by the Gladiators. Point guard Tyler Anderson did his best to keep Italy within striking distance with help from center Kevin Roldan and forward Darol Mayberry getting involved on the boards but Venus gradually built a 35-23 lead by halftime.

Down by 48-30 after the third, Italy beginning to rally late. Byers stole the ball and drew a flagrant foul. He then stepped to line with a cleared court and dropped in both free-throws to make the score 51-34 with under 6:00 remaining. By rule, Italy maintained possession.

Also helping Italy’s second-half comeback effort was Trevon Robertson, who sat the first-half but was ready to roll when Ganske gave him the nod. By this time, Sheppard was moving more fluidly and creating turnovers, suddenly, Italy’s press defense became more effective and the game rapidly grew in intensity. Venus was rattled and their 17-point advantage began to dwindle.

Another steal by Byers resulted in a 3-pointer by Robertson with Sheppard getting the assist. Walton dropped in another 3-point dagger to help pull Italy within a touchdown, 57-50. With time running out, however, Italy had to rush their scoring tries which allowed the Bulldogs to hang on by a paw nail, 62-52.

Despite the loss, the fourth period was telling for the Gladiators and their fans after witnessing the difference a healthy Sheppard could mean for Italy’s lineup. It was certainly a different Gladiator team in the second-half. This season just got a bit more interesting, especially with Sheppard getting more time to heal up over the holiday break.

JV Action:
Tied 35-35 in the third with Italy’s JV refusing to throw in the towel against a well put together Venus team, JV head coach Jon Cady tried to will his young Gladiators to a victory. Post player David De La Hoya had his moments inside but Italy relied heavily on point guard Eric Carson. Carson constantly attacked the rim for Italy but Venus took a 42-39 lead into the final 8:00.

Complimenting Carson with the ball handling chores was Kenneth Norwood who is tremendously skilled for his stout frame. Jorge Galvan helped move the ball as well while Tristan Cotten, Austin Crawford and Michael Moore helped De La Hoya in the paint. Jacob Brooks handled the inbounding duties and Dylan McCasland gave Italy’s defense an energy boost.

Joshua Cryer added a 3-pointer for Italy and James Walton had chances to lay in a couple shots under the basket. In the end, Venus outscores Italy 9-6 in the fourth to hang on for a 51-45 win.

Both Italy teams will return to the Coliseum on Tuesday, December 31, to challenge Blooming Grove on New Year’s Eve. The JV game starts at 12:00 noon followed by the varsity game at 1:15 p.m.

Go Italy!