CSAT cagers rally to down Medina

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Izaiah Rhim delivers a pass over CSAT’s Dayvion Johnson during the Mustangs home court loss to the Eagles this evening.

Able to manage just one field goal in the final quarter, Medina dropped a 58-52 decision to visiting CSAT this evening in a non league boys basketball game.

Trailing 47-46 at the three-quarter mark, CSAT rallied to outscore Medina 12-5 in the decisive final period to claim the win.

Back-to-back layups by Dayvion Johnson and Ricky Smith put CSAT back on top to stay 50-48 early in the final stanza.

A three by Devin Ashley and a rebound bucket by Jaydon Gulledge later upped the Eagle lead to 55-49 before Medina got its only field goal of the period on a layup by Jalin Cooper with just 1:37 to go.

CSAT though locked up the win on three free throws by Ashley.

Medina’s Alex Allis puts up a shot.

Gulledge finished with 19, Ashley 16, Johnson 10 and Smith 8 to lead the Eagles.

Rhim tallied 16, Cooper 14, Alex Allis 13, Trenton Jones 4, Tryellis Atkins 3, and Johnny Salone 2 for Medina.

Setting the tone for the back-and-forth nature of the contest, Medina jumped out to a 9-2 lead at the outset only to see CSAT answer with a 14-5 run to close the opening period deadlocked at 16-16.

Allis and Atkins both had threes and Cooper a pair of baskets to lead the Mustangs in the early going.

Medina then put together a 19-8 second period scoring surge to open up an 11 point, 35-24, advantage at the half.

Allis and Rhim both had a three and a two for the Mustangs in the period as Cooper, Salone and Jones also each chipped in with a basket.

However, CSAT again answered back, this time with a big 22-9 run to rally into a 46-44 lead late in the third period. Gulledge tallied 11 and Johnson 6 to lead that surge as the Eagles capitalized on a rash of Mustang turnovers.

Medina did regain the lead one last time, 47-46, at the end of the third period on a three by Rhim.

The Mustangs though tallied only one more field goal down the stretch as the Eagles used the 12-5 fourth period edge to fall for the win.

Now at 1-3, Medina next visits Albion at 7 p.m. Friday to open the Niagara-Orleans League season.