When the Russia boys basketball team raids the other squad’s offense, it triggers poor passes, sloppy ball handling, and steals — one after another. And, often, easy baskets at the other end of the floor.
The Raiders, 15-0 and ranked first in the AP Ohio Division IV poll, will try to sustain their unbeaten season and entrap the Versailles Tigers, 7-6, on Saturday night in a home nonleague contest.
ScoresBroadcast.com covers the Russia-Versailles tilt with a pregame segment online at approximately 6:05 . Both head coaches, Spencer Cordonnier of Russia and Travis Swank of Versailles, are featured during interviews before the opening tip, which may occur as early as 6:45. A varsity girls contest between the two schools is played at 5:30.
No fewer than seven Raiders take advantage of their length and quickness to average at least a couple steals per game. Benjamin York averages 2.5 pick-pockets, and Felix Francis, Hayden Quinter and Jaxson Grojean produce a pair each. The Raiders also rise up and collect six blocks per contest. And the Russia team forces countless altered shots and creates numerous deflections.
Often, easy baskets are fueled by the suffocating defensive play of Coach Cordonnier’s Raiders.
No one is sharing the basketball any better than Russia at this point in the season. Greater than two-thirds of Russia’s buckets result from players delivering the ball to teammates in scoring position. Quinter and Vince Borchers lead the way in the playmaking department. Francis at five per contest, plus Quinter and Braylon Corodnnier with three per outing, pace the defensive rebounders.
Incredibly, seven Raiders score between a half dozen and a dozen points every four quarters, as the club features an extremely unselfish style of play. Brayden Monnin is pouring in 75 per cent of his free throws.
Last year’s state semifinalist has thumped 13 of its first 15 opponents by 19 points or more. Botkins came within five of the Raiders and Jackson Center fell eight short in the season opener.
Russia is scoring at 67 points per contest and allowing only 38.
Coach Swank of Versailles, who is in his eighth season as the mentor of the Tigers boys program, will counter the Raiders with the strong inside duo of leading scorer, 6-3 AJ Griesdorn, who tallies 12 point per game; and leading rebounder, 6-5 Carson Heitkamp, who averages eight points and eight boards. Heitkamp has also popped to the perimeter on occasion and buried ten three-pointers. Griesdorn shoots 55 percent from the floor.
Sophomore Drake Ahrens, a 6-1 guard, records just over ten points per contest; and 5-11 junior Jace Watren scores at a clip just under ten.
D-III Versailles has won seven of the last ten meetings with Russia, including a mild upset victory, 46-41, in Darke County last January. Russia surprised Versailles by two points in 2021 at the Tigers gym.
Six of the last nine Russia-Versailles contests have been decided by two possessions or less.
For the second straight Friday, Russia is idle and does not play tonight, Jan 26. Versailles traveled to Delphos St. John’s to take on the powerhouse Blue Jays.
The Tigers are 2-2 in Midwest Athletic Conference action entering play on Friday and have dropped four their previous six games.
