By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Mike Setzer’s Friday practice plans took shape during the fourth quarter of Thursday night’s non-league matchup. The third-year coach watched as his Greece Athena Trojans struggled late in a 12-point victory.
“I’m not happy with how we closed out that game,” Setzer said after Athena’s 72-60 win over Wilson Magnet. “We know exactly what we’re going to practice tomorrow and the coming days. We have to practice on playing without fouling and learning how to close out a game. Learning how to get time and score and then get a good shot.”
Leading 63-42 after Austin Brown’s rebound and putback on the first possession of the fourth quarter, the Trojans struggled with understanding time and score and how to manage a game.
“I don’t know why,” Setzer said of the misunderstanding. “We work on that kind of stuff. I think it’s tricky with our team because we’re a fast-paced team and so it’s really tough to take the foot off the gas pedal, but we have to learn how to do that.
“When we did it right, we had two absolute wide open threes with like six seconds to go on the shot clock. I’ll take that. That’s fine. The other ones where we were shooting floaters, contested shots. That’s the stuff we can’t do.”
Robert Davis collected 14 of game-high 25 points in the fourth when Wilson outscored Athena 17-11 in the fourth quarter.
“If we don’t make the shots, now they’re off to a break,” Setzer added. “Wilson is a very good fast break team. That’s how they got back into it or at least that’s how we couldn’t put them away.
“Your matchups get all messed up (on the break). You don’t know who’s got who. You have mismatches. Then we let Davis, the guy who we were focusing on to not get open threes, get open threes. That shouldn’t have been how we were playing.”
Melvin Council, Jr. and Kelvin Reaves, Jr. scored six apiece during a first quarter when Athena jumped to a 21-8 lead. The Trojans pushed the margin to 24 at halftime, 45-21.
Council finished with 16. Reaves had 19. Both have scored in double figures in all seven Athena games this season.
Jake Cerone connected on three 3-pointers and scored a season-high 11 points. Brown, Johnny Salone and Terrell Wilson, Jr. added six apiece for Athena (6-1). Isaiah Brock and DeAndre Newsome both scored four.
Athena will play Eastridge in the Hilton tournament next Friday.
“We have just the one loss to a good Mendon team,” Setzer said. “I like the way we’re playing on defense for the most part.”
Malikk Johnson scored 13 for Wilson. Desi Floyd added seven. Christian Harmon had five. Arthur Wilson (4), Tory Bradley (3) and Maurice Young (2) rounded out the scoring for Wilson (3-5). The Wildcats played the game without starting forward Brennan Clark. The Wildcats do not play again until January 4th when they travel to Edison Tech for an RCAC matchup.
Note: Athena honored longtime football coach Rob Cerone at halftime. Cerone is retiring after 24 years as the head coach at his alma mater. Corona’s son, Jake, added a fitting touch to the night with his season-high performance.
Tribute to Coach Cerone. Congrats and well deserved. You will be missed!! @atrojanfootball @SectionVFB @thadbrown7 @MikeCatalana @jjDandC @RocDevo pic.twitter.com/tnaepaX83x
— David Richardson (@ATHDRichardson) December 21, 2018
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