Canton outlasts Plymouth to clinch ‘Park’ hoops crown
Canton’s Kessler Blakita drives to the basket against Plymouth’s Amir Miller.
On the same day a fast-casual restaurant chain known for its crispy chicken fingers and crinkle fries opened in Canton, the Canton boys basketball team proved it reigns in “crunch” time against P-CEP rival Plymouth.
Leading 45-44 with 6 minutes and 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Cobras squeezed out a 60-49 victory after Lemuel Pettway’s and-one layup (and ensuing free throw) that ignited a game-ending 15-5 run.
Canton, which upended the Wildcats 60-54 three weeks ago with similar late-game execution, improved to 10-6 overall and 6-4 in the KLAA West Division, according to the KLAA’s official website.
With the triumph, Canton secured the P-CEP 2024-25 boys basketball crown as the Cobras defeated Salem twice.
‘Cats in it most of the way
Plymouth, which opened the second half with an 8-0 run to seize a momentary 28-27 lead, slipped to 7-10 and 2-8, respectively.
(To check out video highlights of Tuesday’s game, click here.)
Canton was paced by senior Kessler Blakita, who piled up 19 points on relentless drives to the hoop. When Blakita wasn’t converting right- and left-handed shots, he was frequently fouled, which led to his 9-for-12 shooting at the charity stripe.
Pettway was also a force in the paint, racking up 13 points while senior Nick Hurley added a strong 11-point effort.
Tramble rambles
Among Canton’s other big-time contributors were Jaylen Tramble (seven points) and Teddy Winstel (six points).
The Wildcats were paced by the trio of Chayse Calvin (16 points), Zerry Rue (14 points) and Ali Hider (11 points).
With the ‘Cats trailing 27-23 early in the third quarter, a Calvin triple followed by a Hider driving layup gave the hosts their 28-27 edge.
Bulldozing Blakita
However, Canton regained momentum later in the stanza when a Blakita bucket capped a 6-0 run and gave the Cobras a 39-34 lead.
The Cobras opened the game on an 8-0 run. Plymouth’s first points came with 3:30 remaining in the first quarter when Rue scored in the paint.
Canton cashed in on 27 free throws by knocking down 18 freebies.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
