Badin avenges earlier loss to McNicholas

46-33 win keeps Rams one game behind Roger Bacon in GCL Central.

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By Mark Schmetzer, Contributing Writer 1:44 AM Saturday, February 4, 2012

CINCINNATI — Motivation was no problem for the Badin High School boys basketball team in its Greater Catholic League Central Division game Friday at McNicholas.

A win would match last season’s total and give the Rams 11 in the regular season for the first time since the 2007-08 season. It also would avenge their three-point home loss to the Rockets on Jan. 6.

To many, the most compelling reason was the division race. Badin went in one game behind Roger Bacon with a matchup on the Rams’ home floor in the regular-season finale on the horizon. But first things first as far as they were concerned was getting back at the Rockets, according to Morgan Reynolds.

“We owed them from the last time,” the senior forward said after Badin’s 46-33 win. “We played a real bad fourth quarter. That was the difference between the last game and this game.”

Reynolds scored eight of his team-high 12 points in the second half, including back-to-back leaners midway through the third quarter that gave Badin the lead for good at 24-23. The Rams went on to pull away with a 17-6 fourth quarter.

Senior guard Joe Marot scored 10 points for Badin (11-5, 5-3), which tied last season’s total number of wins despite turning the ball over seven times in the first quarter, according to coach Nick Argentati.

“They know we have to win every GCL game, and I think they might’ve been too hyped up,” he said. “Once we started holding on to it, we were OK.”

Badin finished with 13 turnovers while holding McNicholas (7-8, 3-5) to a season-low in points despite Drew Hall’s game-high 17.

Even with the Rockets missing injured 6-foot-9 senior Ryan Coldiron, who scored eight points in the first game, it was a typical strong defensive effort from the Rams, Argentati said.

“This is our 16th game and the 10th time we’ve held a team under 40,” Argentati said. “It’s pretty standard for us to give a great defensive effort. That’s what we do. We sit down and guard.”

Roger Bacon beat Purcell Marian on Friday night to maintain a one-game advantage in the GCL Central race, but Argentati isn’t concerned about the Rams looking ahead too far. They know they can’t afford another loss.

“We’ve got a little tournament bracket drawn up in our locker room,” he said. “We’ve still got a chance if we win out.”

Badin hosts La Salle from the GCL South on Tuesday night.

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