Boys Basketball: Kozan propels Providence in romp

Updated: January 20, 2012 8:22AM

Providence Catholic guard Kevin Kozan continues to sizzle the nets for the Celtics. One game after dropping 28 points in a win over St. Laurence, Kozan led Providence with 16 points in a 67-50 win over Nazareth at the Eagles Club Shoot-Out at Benedictine University on Sunday.

When Kozan wasn’t attacking the rim looking to set up his teammates — he dished out four assists — the senior was connecting from range. Kozan hit four three-pointers, and even banked one home for good measure to start the second half.

“My teammates have been hitting a lot of shots, so it really spreads out the defense for me to drive,” Kozan said. “I didn’t shoot all that well last year, and I’ve been working on my shot a lot. It’s starting to develop for me, and more shots are going down.”

The Celtics scored 10 first quarter points on offensive put-backs, but they couldn’t shake a young Nazareth squad starting two freshman.

It wasn’t until the second quarter that Providence found some breathing room. Senior center Mike Marietti tallied all 13 of his points in the first half, getting the better of Nazareth’s 7-foot freshman Tyler Jackson (7 points).

The Celtics outscored Nazareth 19-9 in the period, taking a 42-26 lead into intermission. They were never threatened in the second half.

Nazareth (4-6) received 13 points each from guards John Bonk and Dan Kienzle as the pair combined to hit five three-pointers.

“We wanted to make them drive because we knew they were a good three-point team,” Kozan said. “We were lucky enough to make them take some tough shots.”

Joe Batis (11 points), and Brian Odo (10 points, 8 rebounds) also reached double figures for the Celtics.

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