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Alliance 5 is 5-for-5
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Per Alliance Review
Mike Keating
13 hours ago
By MIKE KEATING
Review Lead Sports Writer
Even though their starting lineup was reconstructed with four new starters, the Alliance Aviators soared to five straight wins for the second consecutive season.
Senior third-year regular Marquez McLendon, who grew three inches over the last year, is the tie-in between this year's team and last year's squad, which finished 18-5 and advanced to the Canton Division II district semifinals.
McLendon, a 5-11 point guard, helped the Aviators beat non-conference foes Fairless and Austintown Fitch, and Northeastern Buckeye Conference rivals Northwest, Canton South and Marlington.
"Anytime you have an experienced point guard back like McLendon it makes a world of difference in your basketball team," Canton South head coach Matt Kramer. "He can handle the basketball against pressure, he's the guy they want with the ball with the game on the line, and he gives them leadership."
McLendon has scored a team-high 74 points (15.0 avg.), reaching double figures in each of the first five games. His floor game has also expanded, highlighted by a 11-rebound game at Canton South.
"He's a good passer and gets everybody involved," Alliance head coach Larry Kukura lauded. "He has done a good job making everyopne feel comfortable and he's playing within confines of the offense."
McLendon has converted 15 of foul shots (94 percent), including 13 of 14 (93 percent) in the fourth quarter.
"I know I'm going to have the ball in my hands more, especially in the fourth quarter," McLendon said. "I've worked hard on my foul shooting (technique) and my concentration."
McLendon is part of an eight-man rotation which also consists of 5-11 senior guard Quintin Banks, 5-11 senior guard Za-vaughn Lilly, 6-0 junior guard Darell Jones, 6-3 senior center Dartez Colbert, 6-3 senior center J.J. Williams, 6-0 senior forward Logan Nordquist and 6-2 junior forward Dominique Cooper.
McLendon has the best points-per-game average, but has only topped the Aviators in scoring in one game, netting 22 points in the 58-51 win at Canton South.
Lilly tallied a team-high 16 points and Banks added 11 in a 64-57 win over Fairless. Colbert netted 20 points and Jones contributed 15 points in a 70-58 win over Fitch. Jones made 16 markers and Colbert added 12 in the 63-56 win over Northwest, Colbert netted 15 points at Canton South, and Banks poured in 14 during the 54-41 win over Marlington.
Colbert (14.4 avg.) and Jones (10.4 avg.) are also averaging double figures, while Banks averages eight points and Lilly nets seven. Williams, Nordquist and Cooper have combined to tally nine points a game.
"Balanced scoring is our strength," Kukura opined. "We don't need one guy to score 25-30 points a game in every game. The more balanced scoring you have, the tougher you are to defend."
Alliance can vary its offensive tempo, running when pressed and slowing the game down after building a sizable lead, learning from a disastrous fourth quarter against Fairless when it handled the ball poorly against pressure and rushed shots. The Falcons outscored the Aviators 24-9 in the final 5:12 to cut deeply into a 22-point deficit.
"Larry has done a good job getting them to play under control," Marlington head coach Nick Evanich lauded. "They are athletic, they can run and press, but they are also disciplined in a halfcourt game."
Alliance is versatile offensively. It can execute in transition like it did against Austintown Fitch, scoring 24 of its 31 baskets on layups. The Aviators have also spread the floor and take time off the clock, drawing fouls and sinking the majority of them (13 of 17) like they did in the win over the Wildcats at Canton South.
The Aviators have faced several different defenses. Fairless played a straight 2-3 zone, Austintown Fitch double-team trapped all over the floor, Northwest played a matchup zone, Canton South rotated man-to-man and zone and Marlington employed a 1-2-2 zone.
"Alliance does a good job recognizing the defense and attacking it," Evanich said.
Alliance varies the pace defensively, pressing fullcourt with its diamond look before dropping back into man-to-man, or employing a 1-3-1 halfcourt trap.
"We like to run and look to score, but we know we have to play defense and play as a team," Kukura stressed.
Alliance has been a second-half team. They were trailing Northwest 23-21 and Canton South 29-27 at halftime, and they were tied at 21-21 against Marlington before seizing command the final two quarters, outscoring the Indians 42-33, the Wildcats 31-22 and the Dukes 33-21.
"We've just gone out and executed very well after halftime," Kukura stated. "We moved the ball well and we were patient."
Alliance is idle this week, which is OK with Kukura. Practice time has been used for repititions.
"We've been using this week to go over things, sharpen things and make our role players better," Kukura said. "Williams and Nordquist didn't play last year, so this has been a good time with getting them more familiar with our style of play."
It's been a style which has produced wins in the first five games heading into next Tuesday's matchup against Louisville
