Inside No. 6 Garfield Heights boys basketball's 61-42 win against No. 7 Mentor: Top plays, stats, reaction (video)

GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio – With just a couple of weeks before the playoff seeding is determined, Friday night presented an opportunity for the No. 6 Garfield Heights boys basketball team to show it deserves a high seed.

That is exactly what the host Bulldogs (14-2, 4-1) did, as Willie Jackson finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds to help the team complete the season sweep of No. 7 Mentor with a 61-42 victory.

Garfield Heights, Mentor and Shaker Heights all entered Friday night with one loss in the Northeast Ohio Conference, and coach Sonny Johnson knew his team had a chance to make a statement.

"That is a big win for our team, there is no denying that," Johnson said. "I really think our team is a completely different team that what we were earlier in the season, and I think tonight is a good example of that. Our guys knew that they would continue to battle, but we just had so many guys step up and make plays when we needed them."

Mentor (9-5, 3-2) was able to get off to a quick 8-2 start behind two 3-pointers by junior Micah Potter, but the Bulldogs cranked it up on defense, going on a 29-8 run to end the half.

Like Jackson, Potter finished with a double-double scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.

What it means

Last season, Mentor was able to get the season sweep against Garfield Heights, and that played a big role in determining playoff seeding. Being able to respond and sweep the Cardinals shows the progress the Bulldogs have made since last year.

After enduring a two-game losing streak earlier in the season, the Bulldogs have rattled off five consecutive victories. With the playoffs getting closer, Garfield Heights looks to be hitting its top form at the right time.

For Mentor, this is one of those games that occurs during the season. The Cardinals had some good looks from the 3-point line, and the shots just didn’t go through. As coach Bob Krizancic said after the game, the good thing for Mentor is the team will be back at it Saturday against Euclid.

Play of the game

Mentor was battling back in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 10 points when the Cardinals got a steal and had a chance to cut the deficit to eight. However, two point blank shots were missed, and Jackson got an easy layup for Garfield Heights to push the lead back to 12 points.

Mentor was unable to recover from that sequence.

Crucial run

Garfield Heights found itself in an 8-2 hole early, but sophomore guard Shawn Christian came in and got the team rolling with two 3-pointers.

Who stood out for Garfield Heights

Christian: Johnson has been raving about his sophomore guards all year, and Christian came in and gave the Bulldogs a needed spark early with his 3-point shooting.

Frankie Hughes: The go-to scorer on this Garfield Heights team, Hughes is a calming presence on the floor that can score the ball from anywhere on the court.

Jackson: Jackson was great on both offense and defense, adding four blocks to his double-double. He is as good of an athlete as there is in the area, and he does a great job of using that leaping ability to make plays.

Who stood out for Mentor

Potter: The 6-foot-9 junior is becoming a big-time prospect throughout the season, and he did not disappoint on Friday night. He has the ability to hit the 3-point shot, which makes him very difficult to slow down.

Joey Zaugg: It was not his best shooting night, but he did a nice job of getting to the basket, and making sure the Cardinals were where they needed to be on offense.

Garfield Heights sound bites

Christian on his role on the team: "We have so many guys that can score the ball, that we will have a different player each night that goes off. Tonight, I was able to give my team a lift early."

Coach Johnson on the win: "We know how good of coach (Krizancic) is and how hard his teams are going to play, so for us to go out and get a victory like that, it really shows how well our team played."

Coach Johnson on Jackson's performance: "He's so athletic, and he really showed tonight how tough he is as well battling down low. He does so many things for us, a lot of the things that don't show up in the stats."

Mentor sound bites

Krizancic on his team shooting only three free throws: "To get to the free throw line only three times is just terrible. We did not make any of those shots either. We told our guys, we have had many good offensive players get to the line seven or eight times a game, and for us to get there only three times shows how we weren't aggressive enough."

Krizancic on Garfield Heights: "We know how good of team they are, and they have talented players. The good teams get to the line more than three times, and score more than 42 points. They were able to do that, but the good thing is that it is only January 30. We have some time to figure it out."

What's next

Garfield Heights vs. Medina, Feb. 6, 7:30 p.m.

Mentor vs. Euclid, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.