Ridgeway gets help from his friends

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PLANO -- It was obvious from the opening tip that Aurora Christian had scouted Plano's Harold Ridgeway.

Luke Johnson, Eric Andersen, and Salomon Kabongo took turns shadowing -- and often bodying -- the Reapers' lean 6-foot-7 junior on every possession. But Ridgeway didn't force anything, relying on his Plano teammates to rally for a 65-56 non-conference victory over the Eagles.

Ridgeway, averaging over 18 points per game and coming off a monster game Friday, used a strong second half to finish with 11 points, nine boards, and three steals.

He had plenty of help, as all five Reapers who scored finished in double figures, led by Dan Thom with 15 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the foul line.

After Aurora Christian led 38-34 at halftime, Plano (8-9) outscored the Eagles 19-4 in the third quarter to establish control. AC's Travis Cleveland (10 points) scored on the period's first possession, but the Reapers went on an 18-0 run from that point to turn the game around.

Ryan Campisi (14 points on four treys) had a 3-pointer during the decisive stretch. And Josh Gorzney (14 points) registered a trey and a conventional 3-point play. Thon also converted a 3-point play on a pretty feed by Ridgeway.

The Eagles, who had made 16 of 28 shots in the first half, hit only 2 of 13 from the field after the intermission, until the game's final minutes.

Cleveland, who came out on fire and scored his team's first eight points, was hampered by foul trouble. That proved to be crucial as the Eagles lacked his athletic presence attacking the basket when he was on the bench.

In a tight, well-played first half (only 12 combined turnovers), Campisi and Robert Hearon (11 points) kept the Reapers close. But in the end, free-throw shooting had a lot to do with the outcome. Plano outscored Aurora Christian 23-7 from the line.

Johnson, a 6-7 sophomore, continued to impress for Aurora Christian (5-8) with 15 points and seven rebounds. Nate Hill added 10 points.