MOOSEHEART (Feb. 2) - Levi Chavez was battered and bloodied following Monday's game with IMSA, but the Mooseheart junior was not beaten, and neither were the Red Ramblers, who claimed a hardfought 55-49 Northeastern Athletic Conference victory in their final home game of the regular season.

Chavez scored 26 points in the contest despite missing two stretches in the contest. First he did not start - that honor falling to the Ramblers five seniors. Then he left after clashing heads with one of his teammates late in the third quarter, a collision that opened a cut just above his nose. Chavez returned with a bandage held in place with a gauze head wrapping. The cut never completely closed and he was heading for stitches after the contest.

"We didn't play the best game," Chavez said. "I was feeling confident in my shots, wanting them to fall. I want to go to regionals feeling confident in my shot."

Chavez was the only Ramblers player to score in double-figures. At the time he was hurt, he had 20 points and his team was clinging to an eight-point lead.

"I told the guys that they had to hang on because our best threat just got split open," Mooseheart coach Ron Ahrens said of the extended break while staff cleaned blood off the court from where it dripped after Chavez was cut. "I told them he's coming back, but they had to hang on because he was the only one who was scoring."

Mooseheart's quickness was a factor, especially in the first half. The Ramblers jumped to a 9-2 lead and never trailed. By halftime, the lead was 26-19 and Chavez had 12 of those points.
"We have some good assists guys," Chavez said. "They see well on the court. They see a guy open on the floor and they give him the ball."

The Ramblers inside players, Munir Smith and Jonell Crump, struggled against the Titans. Crump finished the first half with three fouls and four points. The senior picked up his fourth foul early in the fourth quarter and only scored two more points in the contest. Smith was similarly shackled. He scored six points and struggled with 4-for-14 free throw shooting.

"We'll take the win," Ahrens said. "But I'll tell you what happened. They're long and they bothered us. You saw our two big guys play - and they were intimidated. (IMSA's) long and they just came off a win against Luther North. To be 8-of-23 from the free throw line and to be able to win, I'll take that."

IMSA had a balanced attack and Nick Virgil led the Titans with 14 points. Jonathan Czerwonka and Trevor Hahm added 11 points apiece.

Mooseheart started its five seniors on Senior Night - Shawn McReynolds, Jon Corral, Smith, Damion Moore and Crump. Corral electrified the crowd by hitting a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter, the only points he scored but also enough points to provide the ultimate winning margin.

3-point goals:

IMSA: Reinhart 1, Czerwonka 2.

Mooseheart: McReynolds 1, Corral 2, Chavez 4.

Fouled out: None.