Ellwood City big man Joseph Roth showed his prowess on both ends of the court Tuesday night, collecting 35 points and hauling in 20 rebounds to lead the Wolverines to a 49-35 victory over section foe Laurel.
After an uneventful first quarter, Roth heated up and scored 11 points in the second quarter that saw the host Wolverines pull away for a 19-9 halftime advantage.
Ellwood City Sophomore, Joseph Roth
The first quarter featured only three field goals by both teams as Ellwood City led 6-2 after the initial frame.
Roth scored 23 second half points as Ellwood City stretched out its advantage in defeating the Spartans. The sophomore was the lone Wolverines in double-figures scoring (35 points, 9-12 FTs, 20 rebounds, one steal) on the evening, but the team found its way to its ninth consecutive victory.
Alexander Roth finished with two 3-pointers en route to eight points (four rebounds, four assists) while fellow senior Steve Antuono finished with five points (five rebounds) for Ellwood City. Anthony Spadafore chipped in a free throw while playing stellar defense.
Elo Sickafuse led the Spartans with a team-high 12 points. Laurel connected on five 3-pointers, outpacing the Wolverines from deep but had no answer for Roth inside.
Ellwood City (12-2 overall, 5-0 Section 1-3A) next play in two upcoming non-section contests – first versus Saint Joseph on Saturday, January 22 and then on the road Tuesday at Shenango. Ellwood City returns to section play with an rivalry game at Riverside on January 28.
PLEASE NOTE: The Ellwood City Boys Varsity Basketball versus Sto-Rox that was scheduled for Saturday, January 29th has been moved to Sunday, January 30th at 2:00 pm at Montour High School
Happy to see Ellwood City with a fantastic basketball team!