Five Takeaways: Clearview at Fairview – DII Conference Rivals Clash

<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Fairview 82<br /> Clearview 62</strong></p> <p><em>In a game that started as hotly contested battle, Fairview's relentless attack and pace was the deciding factor in a game Fairview blew open at the end, handing division rivals Clearview Clippers their first loss of the season. Fairview and Clearview both compete in the Stripes Division of the Patriot Athletic Conference. Fairview's lone loss of the season came at the hands of conference foe, Buckeye. Fairview's win ties them with Clearview for 1st Place in the division, with each carrying a conference record of 5-1.</em></p> <p>1. Clearview led after the 1st Quarter, 22-21. Senior Guard from Clearview, <strong>Josh Cordero</strong>, got going early, scoring 6 quick points out of the gate. Another Clipper making a big early impact was senior Wing <strong>Jaylen Paschel</strong>. Moments after hitting a big 3 to put Clearview up 10-9, Paschel drove to the basket and as he was being converged on by multiple Warrior defenders, and made a great pass to <strong>Josiah Hitchens</strong> for the easy layup.</p> <p>2. Senior Guard <strong>Javon Todd</strong> is Clearview's most talented scorer. Proving he could score from all over the court, he was the one player Fairview struggled to defend at times. Todd made what looked like it could amount fo being one of the plays of the game at the end of the 1st Quarter. Following a huge blocked shot by Fairview's Luke Howes, with the clock ticking towards the end of the 1st, Todd stuck with the play and buried a corner 3, hoping to steal momentum. Todd did a great job of drawing contact, getting to the line on 6 occasions, shooting 5/10 from the stripe. Todd would finish with 21 points. </p> <p>3. So why was Fairview able to run away with the game following a dogfight of a 1st Quarter? Because they had a gameplan, and they stuck to it. Fairview scored a large amount of their points in transition, giving numerous players the freedom to collect a defensive rebound, and either make a long outlet pass to a guard leaking out downcourt, or playing a grab 'n go style to initiate early offense. A big reason Fairview found so much success in transition was the outlet passing of <strong>Noah Mesaros</strong>. Playing the post position for Fairview, anytime he collected a rebound, his eyes were on the other end of the court hoping to find a teammate for an easy transition score. Mesaros was sure to get in on the scoring action himself, proving to be effective driving the ball and finishing around the rim. He finished with 15 points.</p> <p>4. Oh, and it certainly doesn't hurt when you have the best player on the floor on your side. Fairview's <strong>Luke Howes</strong> was again spectacular. The Class of 2020 prospect dealt with early foul trouble, picking up his 3rd Personal with 2 minutes left in the 2nd Quarter. That would cause most coaches to pull their best player, but Howes stayed in the game and did not back down from his aggressive style. Though he was Fairview's leading scorer with 23 points, Howes proved that his best asset is not necessarily his scoring, but his ball handling and ability to distribute the ball and get others involved really propelled Fairview in this game.</p> <p>5. Fairview won this game by having a balanced attack and being able to pick apart Clearview's defense in a number of ways. When they weren't scoring in transition off missed baskets, Fairview's outside scoring was devastating to Clearview. <strong>Martin Lowry</strong>, <strong>Ethan McQuate</strong>, and <strong>Marty Rehor </strong>combined for 8 triples. Particularly for Lowry, the Junior wing took full advantage of Clearview hanging a little closer to him to closeout on his quick release, and did a great job of finding driving lanes, resulting in a 19-point night.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Fairview and Clearview will meet again next month on February 15 at Clearview High School. There's a good chance those teams will be fighting for a division crown that night.</p>