Rankin helps Sweet Home avenge losses
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Sweet Home's Terrell Rankin steals a pass away from Williamsville North's Alex Barth during the Panthers' 68-52 home win on Friday. Rankin finished with 27 points, giving him 997 for his career. Photos by Joe Eberle

A torn anterior cruciate ligament and torn cartilage in his right knee kept Terrell Rankin a spectator last season when Sweet Home lost twice to Williamsville North. This year, Rankin made sure the Panthers left their court a winner.

Rankin scored 27 points, 17 coming in the first half and grabbed 13 rebounds and dished five assists as Sweet Home avenged two league losses to the Spartans with a convincing 68-52 win.

"Coach (Paul Schintzius) talked about this game for a while," said Rankin who now has 997 career points. "They're known as our rival. They beat us by six and four last year so we came for some revenge this year."

Rankin shot 8-of-13 from two-point range, scoring many by knifing through North's half-court trap defense. He also hit 2-of-5 three-pointers. One downfall was a 5-of-12 performance from the free throw line.

"He's starting to really pick up the pace," said Schintzius. "In the first four or five games of the year, he was still tentative with his ACL injury from last year but he's getting better and better. He's starting to take over the leadership role in a quiet way much like how Quentin (Hudson) did last year. My critique of him is that he left a lot of points at the free throw line. That's something he's going to have to get better at if he really wants to be the prolific player that we know he can."

John Piaggione, left, was the Spartans' only player in double figures with 11 points. Piaggione is guarded by Sweet Home's Joshua Parker.

Rankin's play, along with Sweet Home's aggressive man to man defense, led to a 22-12 first quarter lead and 47-23 halftime cushion. It was 62-37 after the third quarter.

"Although they are different personnel out there (from last year), Williamsville North always has got a well-coached team," said Schintzius. "In league games there are no secrets so we had to come out and make sure that we took care of business early on and we did that and built a nice working margin."

"As a team, they wanted it more than we did," said North coach Chuck Swierski. "They outhustled, outtoughed and outsmarted us in every aspect of the game."

Glenroy Carr (10 points) and Steven Roberts (two points, seven assists) also chipped in for Sweet Home. Schintzius also liked the play of Marcus Johnson (four points) and Jamel Werts (three points). Eleven Panthers scored.

John Piaggione led North with 11 points. Ryan Young was held to eight points and five rebounds, both season lows.

The Spartans were also poor from the foul line, only converting 16-of-30 attempts. Coming into the game, North was shooting 73 percent.

"I thought getting to the line 30 times was great but you can't afford to basically shoot 50 percent against a team like that," said Swierski.

Sweet Home also made twice as many two-point baskets, 24-12.

Sweet Home (7-3, 4-1) doesn't play a home game until Feb. 1. Its five-game road swing begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Lancaster. Other road games include trips to Frontier, Clarence, Jamestown and West Seneca West.

"They're going to be difficult but we're looking forward to it," said Schintzius.

North (5-6, 1-4) hosts Orchard Park, who beat Sweet Home this season, also at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.

"We have to get back to basics, take a look at ourselves and see what we need to do better," said Swierski. "We have to focus on rebounding, man to man defense, and what we need to do on our assignments."

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com