Storm blow past Red Devils

MANLIUS — The host Storm came out of the gates at full speed Saturday night against cross-county rival Hall, and after a second-quarter slow down, they regained their opening momentum in the second half to post a 58-41 win over the Red Devils.

The Storm defense and transition game were clicking on all cylinders in the early going, as the BV’s tough 1-3-1 zone defense and occasional full-court pressure forced the Red Devils into turnovers that resulted in Storm layups.

The Storm started with a 10-2 run, capped off with a layup from senior center Ryan Hix set up by a steal and dish from senior guard Alex Franklin. With the pace established in their favor, the Storm continued to roll, and when the horn signaled the end of the first frame, BV had lit up the scoreboard with 24 points, staking a 14-point 24-10 lead.

Storm coach Brad Bickett said playing tough defense and pushing the ball up the floor were crucial to helping the Storm get over some recent offensive woes.

“That’s the key, our half-court trap, and we sometimes mix in a little press; (it) really fuels our offense. We’re so much better in transition ... Sometimes we’re just not a very good half-court team,” Bickett said.

Bickett said he was glad to see his troops respond with a high energy start after a tough road loss to the Three Rivers' foe, Erie, Friday night.

“We just talked to the kids about being passionate, coming out to a quick start,” Bickett said. “They’re 17-, 18-year-old kids. You never know what you’re going to get, and they made some good decisions to come out and really play together."

“Getting up 16 in the first quarter kind of set the tone for the game, how it was going to be,” said Storm senior Ryan Hix, who wreaked havoc atop BV’s 1-3-1 defense, and scored six of his 14 points in the opening quarter. “That’s how we’ve got to come out in the first quarter and just put it to teams.”

As hot as the Storm was in the first period, the second quarter told a different story, as the layup and fast-break opportunities dried up. The Red Devils took their turn at playing some zone defense and pressing, holding BV to only four second-quarter points as they trimmed the Storm lead to 28-21 at halftime.