Glenelg Country stays unbeaten in the B Conference

The Glenelg Country School got 24 points from junior Isiah Miles, and 22 from sophomore Kevin Boyd as the Dragons defeated the Gilman Greyhounds 78-69 in Roland Park on Monday to improve to 8-0 in the MIAA B Conference basketball.

Gilman’s Cyrus Jones and Ryan Ripken, both juniors, combined for 50 points for coach Owen Daly, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the potent Dragon offense. In addition to their point production,  Jones had nine assists and Ripken pulled down seven rebounds.

Glenelg’s Warren Powers chipped in with 13 points, and steady Cesar Jove-Vives added a dozen, ten of which came from the free throw line, where Jove-Vives was 10-for-12.  Had Gilman attained that kind of shooting percentage from the stripe, the game might have had a different outcome.  The Greyhounds missed 14 attempts at the line in the contest.

The Dragons held a 12 point lead with five minutes to go in regulation when Jones went on a tear, bringing the Greyhounds to within six with a minute to play, but Jove-Vives answered the Gilman thrust on the line at the other end of the floor to stave off the Gilman run.

Ryan Ripken  who finished with 24 continued his torrid shooting streak.  Ripken has scored 20 or more in five straight games for the Greyhounds, and on Monday night he poured in six three’s, three of which came in the third quarter to keep Gilman within striking distance. Ripken has 128 points in his last five games, a 25.6 average.

The shooting from Jones and Ripken wasn’t lost on the Dragons.  Glenelg coach Kevin Quinlan said that Ripken shot the ball well.  “He’s in a zone, he’s in a pocket, and he’s going to be hard to stop.”  

Glenelg’s Boyd and Miles agreed with their coach.

“We tried to deny Cyrus and Ripken, but they are great shooters,” said  Boyd. “The chemistry is on point.”

Miles also complimented Jones and Ripken on their effort.  

“Ryan Ripken is an excellent shooter, and he’s going to make shots, and so is Cyrus. They are very good players.”

Quinlan said that the key to the win was the way the Dragons run their fast break offense.  

“We run a five lane fast break and Warren (Powers) was running straight to the rim
every time and when he does that it opens up good looks for everybody else.”

Miles, who snared 14 rebounds, said that the Dragons dominated in the post.  

“We got some outside shots, Kevin (Boyd) hit four threes and that was big for us. We treat every game like it’s a championship game,” added the 6-foot-8 center.

Powers said that the Dragons fought hard on the defensive end, and controlled the rebounds.

Glenelg’s lead was just two after one quarter, 13-11, but they pulled away in the second quarter when Miles scored a dozen points to give the Dragons a ten point lead, 34-24.

Ripken’s three point barrage in the third quarter helped trim the Dragon lead to seven after three (51-44), and Jones dumped in 15 markers in the final quarter, but Powers, Boyd and Miles answered for Quinlan, and Jove-Vives was superb from the line to keep Gilman at bay.

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