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BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
Paul Leasure scored a career-high 36 points, and Aidan Smith added 10, but the Rochester boys basketball team lost to Tri-Central 67-59 in Sharpsville on Nov. 27.
Leasure scored 25 of Rochester’s 32 points in the second half. He hit five of the Zebras’ 10 3-pointers.
“He was very aggressive,” Rochester coach Rob Malchow said. “He attacked.”
Caden Leininger hit five 3-pointers and scored 23 points for the Trojans. Jake Chapman added 19, including 11 in the fourth quarter. Landon Grant hit four treys and added 14.
The game featured 22 combined made 3-pointers.
Both teams are 1-1.
Leininger scored as many points (12) as the entire Rochester team in the third quarter. The game was tied 27-27 at the half before Tri-Central assumed a 49-39 lead after three quarters.
“We did everything,” Malchow said of the defense. “At different times, different defenses. It just depended on the situation.”
Rochester had beaten Tri-Central 70-36 at the RHS gym on Feb. 6 in their most recent meeting. The 70 points were the Zebras’ season-high for a game last year.
Tri-Central 67, Rochester 59
ROCHESTER (59) (1-1)
Tarick McGlothin 1 0-0 3, Paul Leasure 13 5-6 36, Aidan Smith 3 2-2 10, Luke Hunting 0 0-0 0, Evan Elliott 0 0-0 0, Robert Bozzo 2 0-0 6, Tanner Reinartz 1 0-0 2, Aaron Huffman 0 0-0 0, Xavier Vance 1 0-0 2
TEAM: 21 7-8 59
TRI-CENTRAL (67) (1-1)
Landon Grant 5 0-0 14, Caden Leininger 9 0-0 23, Kraig Bugher 3 0-0 9, Jake Chapman 8 3-5 19, Jace Cassity 1 0-0 2, Luke Martin 0 0-0 0
TEAM: 26 3-5 67
Three-point field goals:
Rochester 10 (Leasure 5, Smith 2, Bozzo 2, McGlothin),
Tri-Central 12 (Leininger 5, Grant 4, Bugher 3)
Total fouls: Rochester 14, Tri-Central 9
Score by quarters
Rochester 7 20 12 20 – 59
Tri-Central17 10 22 18 – 67
