Mifflin 78 , Marion Franklin 74

Sharpshooting pushed the Punchers to a win

COLUMBUS, Ohio - - In a game where senior Miami (OH) football commit Tito Glass scored his 1,000th career point, it was the Mifflin Punchers (9-13, 7-7) that outlasted the Red Devils (8-14, 5-9). Junior Puncher guard John Glover IV hit seven total three’s to help carry his team to a 78-74 win in a cross division City League matchup.

Outside of Mifflin going up by eight a couple of times in the third quarter and once in the fourth, this game was back-and-forth all evening long. The one constant was that Mifflin led after every quarter.

It started with a close opening quarter, where the team volleyed around the lead before the Punchers closed the quarter with a 19-17 advantage.

The second quarter is where things heated up, especially for Glover. Draining four three’s in the frame, the junior found his rhythm early and kept it until halftime. His fourth and final triple of the half not only ended the half but also put his team ahead 41-40 heading into the locker room.

Mifflin raced ahead early after the break, going up 54-46 midway through the third quarter. Marion Franklin’s second team All-City South selection Terry Black and point guard Neko Tuff helped the Red Devils climb out of that deficit with their defense and rebounding, getting out on the break and getting easy scores.

While trailing by three, Marion Franklin gave up a buzzer beating triple at the end of the third quarter to Mifflin senior Hazma Mohamed that put the Punchers up heading into the final frame.

Leading 61-55 entering the fourth, Mifflin’s offense chose a bad time to stall on offense, but before it dried up, Glover hit a three, giving the Punchers a 66-58 lead in the middle of the quarter.

Tito Glass scored his 1,000th point and shredded the lead to six, 66-60 after his basket. An 8-0 run ensued from the Red Devils, a streak that ended with Mifflin’s Tariq Johnson hitting a pair of free throws to knot the game up at 68. This is where the game became wild.

From that moment in the fourth quarter, with less than two minutes on the game clock, there were three ties and four lead changes. Johnson dropped four throws straight through the net, junior BJ Woody and John Glover IV also contributed from the line as well. Glover’s two makes at the line gave the Punchers a 76-74 lead. On the next possession, Glass was called for a travel then Johnson’s layup put the icing on the game and gave Mifflin the 78-74 victory.

Both teams now get ready for the state tournament where they will be underdogs, but can pull of a first round upset if they play to their potential.

Now let’s break down some of the performances from the cross division match.