11-30-02: Bulldogs dominate in season opener

11-30-02: Bulldogs dominate in season opener

By GARY R. RASBERRY
Sports Writer

    The 2002-03 season opened up very strong for the Celina Bulldogs in taking a 61-44 win over Piqua at Garbry Gymnasium on Friday.
    Celina shot over 50 percent from the floor and held tough against a tenacious Indian pressure defense. Celina only committed 12 turnovers in the game as a 15-3 run at the start of the third quarter all but put the game away for the Bulldogs.
    "It was a good team effort," said Celina coach Mike Kanney. "I though our kids came out and played real hard defensively. We got a lot of contributions from a lot of different guys."
    Kanney kept a steady rotation of players throughout the game, which came into play as the Bulldogs took control through the game.
    Celina used its starters to start the pull-away in the first quarter. Piqua trailed 5-4 halfway through the opening stanza before junior Tim Homan hit a pair of deuces and a long three-pointer within a span of two minutes to make the score 12-4.
    Brett Dorsten also got into the act with a lay-up with less than a minute to go to make it 14-6 after one. Celina made six of its eight field goal attempts in the first quarter while Piqua managed to hit just two of its nine shots.
    In the second quarter, the fouls began to pile up for Piqua as the Indians committed 15 in the first half. Celina could have put the game away in the first half if not for a sluggish start from the foul line. The Bulldogs made just eight of its 18 attempts in the first half, including a stretch of seven misses out of eight midway through the second quarter.
    The shooting away from the line tempered down a little but still was a respectable 10-of-18 in the first half as Celina pushed its lead to 31-15 at the half thanks to eight second quarter turnovers by the Indians. The Indians weren't able to get into their high-tempo game and had trouble shooting, making just 5-of-15 field goals at the half.
    "I think our guys did a good job of getting good position and not letting them get any good looks early," said Kanney. "Late in the game we gave up a few easy baskets but we'll work on that."
    The Bulldogs pulled away for good in the early part of the third quarter. Dorsten hit all three of his shots and both free throws and Jeff Vondrell had five of his 10 points in the third quarter as Celina cruised into the fourth quarter with a 52-29 lead.
    The Indians kept fighting with the shooting of senior Josh Clay. Clay missed just one field goal attempt in the second half to finish with a game-high 22 points. The Indians got a little closer but not enough to caution Celina.
    "That was more of a function of our first group going against their second group, said Piqua coach Russ Sponsel. "It's really not making anything happen."
    Celina finished the game shooting 54 percent from the floor and committing just 12 turnovers. Kanney was happy to see his team come out and play strong from the beginning.
    "I think that will be a strength of the team," said Kanney of the low number of turnovers. "We've got a lot of guys who can handle the ball. That's something we hope to hang our hat on this season."
    Dorsten led Celina with 20 points on seven-of-eight shooting from the floor. Homan added 12 and Vondrell finished with 10 as nine Bulldogs got into the scoring column.
    Celina continues its season-opening road trip tonight at Toledo Central Catholic.

DIRECTIONS TO TOLEDO CENTRAL CATHOLIC:
To get to the school, take Interstate 75 north to the Brancroft Street exit, stay right on Brancroft through five stoplights to the Franklin Street intersection. Turn left on Franklin and follow the road until it dead ends at Toledo Central Catholic High School.

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