Getting their running game in gear from the opening tip, the Flyers raced past the Rock Hill Redmen 68-53 Tuesday in a non-league game.

Wednesday, January 26, 2000

Getting their running game in gear from the opening tip, the Flyers raced past the Rock Hill Redmen 68-53 Tuesday in a non-league game.

"We got the game going up and down, which is the way we like to do, and we can attribute that to our defense. I was pleased with our defense, especially the first quarter," Flyers coach Kevin Sheridan said.

St. Joe’s running game helped produce a seventh straight win and gave the Flyers a 9-4 record on the season.

"That was a big win," said Sheridan. "We went out to their place early in the season and got drilled, so to come back and win is big. Rock Hill doesn’t have the big shooters they had in the past, but they’re still a good team and they still have some capable shooters."

Matt Frazer had his second straight big game for the Flyers with 26 points – 19 the first half – and nine rebounds. Bill Dressel scored 17 points, Eric Waginger had 14 points and seven rebounds, Bub Waginger got four steals, and Andy Stack had six rebounds.

"Overall, it was a good team effort, which is the way it has to be for us to win," said Sheridan. "All our seniors stepped up. Matt Frazer stepped up big the second quarter, Eric (Waginger) hits some big baskets, and (sophomore) Bill (Dressel) hit some shots. And our bench did a good job."

Rock Hill (6-7) was led by Brent McCoy with 19 points including 10 the second quarter. Brian Tennant had 15 points – 10 the fourth quarter – and grabbed nine rebounds. Tanner Heaberlin added 11 points and five rebounds.

St. Joe forced 12 turnovers the first quarter in getting off to a fast start. The Flyers jumped out to an 11-0 lead before David Schug scored at the 4:30 mark for the Redmen.

The lead went to 20-5 at the end of the quarter when Stack sank a pair of foul shots.

A 3-pointer by McCoy got Rock Hill within 26-14 with 2:23 left in the half, but Frazer took over and scored eight points, the final two on a layup with two seconds left that put St. Joe ahead 36-17 at the break.

St. Joe built as much as a 21-point lead the third quarter before McCoy’s 3-pointer with three seconds on the clock made it 50-33 at the end of the quarter.

"If we hit a couple more shots in the third quarter, the game’s over. But we got a little lackadaisical which you do with a big lead," Sheridan said.

The Flyers led by as many as 22 points the fourth quarter at 61-39 on a layup by Bub Waginger with 4:16 to play.

Rock Hill used the scoring of Tennant to make a mild run, but the Flyers used their spread offense to run time off the clock and force the Redmen to foul. St. Joe capitalize by converting 10 of 11 from the line in the quarter.

Rock Hill plays at Coal Grove Friday. St. Joe travels to Raceland, Ky., Saturday.