Center Grove boys thump Roncalli

<p>Three times this season, Center Grove’s boys basketball team has been dealt back-to-back losses.</p><p>On each of those three occasions, the Trojans made sure the drought didn’t reach three.</p><p>Center Grove dominated the first period at both ends and maintained a comfortable edge the rest of the night for an 85-41 home triumph over Roncalli on Tuesday night.</p><p>Trayce Jackson-Davis finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks for the Trojans (13-6), while Spencer Piercefield added 20 points on six 3-pointers.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>&quot;It all started with our defensive intensity,&quot; Center Grove coach Zach Hahn said. &quot;I thought guys really bought into the game plan, our seniors showed great leadership and toughness, and then obviously if shots go in, it makes us a lot tougher.&quot; </p><p>Piercefield got the Trojans out in front for good with a 3-pointer just 26 seconds in, part of a 7-0 burst to open the game. Another run of nine straight points to close out the first quarter, capped by a Ben Nicoson 3, stretched the lead to 23-8.</p><p>Roncalli (4-13) crept to within nine, 25-16, on a Max Wors 3 early in the second, but Center Grove responded with 11 straight points (five from Piercefield, four from Justin DeGraaf) to regain firm control of the affair.</p><p>A Jackson-Davis basket, followed by consecutive 3-pointers from Piercefield, put the Trojans up 44-19 with 6:49 left in the third quarter, and the lead continued to expand from there, hitting 41 points late in the third and ballooning up to 50 in the closing minutes with Center Grove’s third unit on the floor.</p><p>&quot;We actually extended the lead,&quot; Hahn said, &quot;which shows the growth of some of these guys over the course of the season, because earlier on if we did that, we weren’t extending like we did.&quot;</p><p>Eleven different players scored for the Trojans, who got 11 points from DeGraaf and 10 from Nicoson. Anthony Donahue had 11 points for the Rebels, who suffered the third-most lopsided defeat in school history.</p><p>Nicoson credited the leadership of the senior class for helping the Trojans right the ship after back-to-back defeats, and he saw a more upbeat squad on the floor Tuesday.</p><p>&quot;A win like this, the way we handled it, the way we did it, definitely brings us together,&quot; Nicoson said. &quot;I know practices have been tough … but getting a win like this, showing everybody on our team who might not buy in as much, it just shows them what we can do when everyone is willing to work together.&quot;</p>