The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

CJ boys basketball fights off Greeneview in opener

Eagles strong in fourth quarter after Rams rally in second half.

High school sports results for May 26
5/26/12
Wayne boys win team track title
5/25/12
Bellbrook tennis duo advances to semifinals
5/25/12
Jefferson grad takes lessons from Miami Heat cousin
5/25/12
T-Bolts excited for state debut
5/25/12
> More high school headlines

By John Cummings, Contributing Writer Updated 11:57 PM Saturday, December 3, 2011

DAYTON — Heading into the season opener, Chaminade Julienne boys basketball coach Joe Staley wasn’t sure what to expect from Greeneview.

“They are a very good team,” Staley said Saturday night after his host Eagles opened with a 43-39 win. “We kinda came in blind. We didn’t get a chance to see them. We knew about (Evan) Bradds and (Eric) Green from AAU, but didn’t know much else.”

For the first half, it looked like going in blind would pay off. C-J led 11-5 after the first quarter and 23-11 after two, but the Rams got things going in the second half.

The Rams opened the second half with an 8-0 run behind five points from Green and a 3-pointer by Tyler Bruntz to cut the deficit to 23-19 less than three minutes into the third stanza.

“I think we finally calmed down,” Greeneview coach Bill Green said. “I thought we looked over-anxious, but I thought the big key for us was in the first three minutes of the third quarter we had to pick things up offensively. We ran some specials and got going and we had to guard people.”

The Rams outscored CJ 18-7 in the third quarter and took their first lead, 32-30, on a three by Kenny Lawson with 7:20 left in the fourth quarter.

“It was predictable,” Staley said. “That’s what good teams do when they are down. I thought we played good defense in the first half and the last three minutes. I think every kid who took the floor to start the second half knew they were going to make a run. We have to have that killer instinct to start the second half.”

The lead changed hands eight times in the final eight minutes before the Eagles took the lead for good, 40-39, with 3:15 left on a jumper in the lane by sophomore Justin Bibbs.

Bradds, headed to Ohio University, finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Rams with Green adding 11. Bibbs led the Eagles with 19 points while a new-look John Staley added 14 points and seven rebounds.

“We all got in the weight room and worked hard in the offseason,” John Staley said. “We needed to get a little stronger and I think it helped because we were not as winded at the end and that helped us with being able to stay with it.”

Share this article