By Todd Wills
Frost made Italy play at its pace, a slower one, for most of Tuesday’s Kiwanis Classic semifinal game.
That wasn’t enough to keep the Gladiators from getting back in the Kiwanis Championship Game.
Italy grinded out a 57-41 victory over the Polar Bears at the Wolens Special Events Center, finally putting away Frost with consecutive 3-point plays by junior guard Jasenio Anderson midway through the fourth quarter.
Anderson used his strength to get to the basket both times. Frost was still within striking distance at 47-36 with 4:54 left in the game when Anderson scored and made a free throw on consecutive trips down the floor.
Italy (13-2) will get a rematch with Kerens in Wednesday’s Championship Game at 8 p.m. Kerens beat Italy in last year’s finals, 69-55.
Kerens also has a win over Italy earlier this season in the Gladiators’ own tournament. The Bobcats won that game, 87-71, though Italy coach Kyle Holley said the game was much closer than the score indicates.
“We always have a good ball game with them,” Holley said. “We already had a close game with them. It was back-and-forth.”
Frost didn’t do Italy any favors in getting the Gladiators ready for Wednesday night’s final. The Polar Bears did their best to make Italy play a halfcourt game. Frost pounded the ball inside and Philip Page and Danial Steels each had 15 points.
“They’re very well coached,” Holley said. “They do things that hurt us. They slowed us down.”
“We did some good things,” Frost coach Clark Moore said. “Turnovers and missed free throws hurt us. We let Jasenio Anderson score too many points but a lot of that was due to fatigue from the holidays.”
Frost had the game tied at 11-11 with 2:17 left in the first quarter before John Isaac and Anderson scored baskets for a four-point lead after a quarter.
Italy extended the lead to 22-13 with 4:46 left in the second quarter on Colton Campbell’s layup. But Frost pulled closer at halftime, 24-18, as Page had two baskets in the final 3:54 of the half.
Anderson’s second basket of the third quarter gave Italy a 36-24 lead with 4:55 left in the third quarter, and Frost got closer than nine points the rest of the game.
Italy led 47-33 on Anderson’s layup early in the fourth quarter, and even though Steels scored three points to close within 47-36 with 4:54 left, Anderson was able to convert his two traditional 3-point plays to put seal the victory.
“That was part of it,” Moore said. “Somebody should have been there to help.”
Now comes a chance for Italy to turn things on Kerens.
“We’re pretty even matched,” Holley said. “They played better than us last time we played. Maybe it’s our turn. It’s good opportunity for us.
