Shenango took a quarter to get going.

But once the Wildcats figured out Western Beaver’s defense, they were in control of the nonsection matchup.

Mike Linz paced Shenango with 21 points and 10 rebounds in a victory over the Golden Beavers. The Wildcats trailed by one point after the opening quarter.

“We started a little slow,” Shenango coach Bob McQuiston said. “Coming down here, it was little bit of a trip, so maybe the guys came in a little relaxed, but after the first quarter, we really picked up the tempo and pushed the ball up the floor. We created some turnovers and got some easy baskets. That really got things going.”

The zone defense of the Golden Beavers confused Shenango at first, but McQuiston said the Wildcats’ ball movement sparked the 28-10 second-quarter run and put them up by 17. Brett Chieze poured in 16 points and 10 assists, and Jeff Williams netted 13 markers for Shenango (2-1).

“We did a good job distributing the ball,” McQuiston said. “They ran a zone at us and I thought our guys played smart and made the right pass. Mike (Linz) did a great job. The guys found him at the right time, and he did a good job getting offensive boards and putting them back in.”

The Wildcats ended any chance at a Western Beaver comeback with a 20-14 advantage in the third quarter.

“It was nice to bounce back after a tough loss to Neshannock over the weekend,” he said. “We wanted to have a good showing to get ready for tomorrow.”