The Lake City Tigers boys basketball team sensational playoff run and quest for the school’s first berth in the state tournament since 1990 ended Thursday night in the Section 1AA Championship game following a 68-40 loss to Plainview/Elgin-Millville.
The Bulldogs, currently ranked second in Class AA advanced to state for the second consecutive season. They will take a 28-2 record and 21 game winning streak into the tournament, which begins Wednesday.
The Section 1AA championship game pitted the two best defenses in class AA, as the Bulldogs entered the game allowing 43.6 points per contest, while the Tigers were yielding 46.4 points per game to their opponents.
“PEM has an outstanding team and we knew going in what we were up against. They are athletic, quick, pass well, shoot well, and have good team patience. We had to get out of the gate quick and we had the opportunity to do exactly that, but unfortunately that’s not the way things unfolded,” noted fifth year Tiger mentor Shawn Sweeney.
Lake City controlled the tempo in the early going, grabbing a 2-1 lead on a basket by Nick Bobb two minutes into the contest. Following a three pointer by Cole Olstad, the Tigers tied the game at four a piece when Joe Beck scored his first bucket of the game with 13:12 remaining in the first half.
Things then got away from Lake City as the Bulldogs seized momentum with a quick 8-0 run that featured two three pointers. The Tigers struggled against the Bulldogs full court pressure, committing four of their 11 first half turnovers in a key stretch where PEM pulled away. Overall it was a 15-2 run by the Bulldogs that gave them a 19-6 advantage with 7:59 to play in the first half.
Beck then elevated his play as he spearheaded the Tigers rally attempt. Kerby Rigelman fed a streaking Beck to get things going for the orange and black. On the next possession, Coleman Sweeney found Beck as he sliced down the lane from the high post for a bucket as the Tigers began to build momentum.
Trailing 26-10 with five minutes to play in the initial stanza, Beck tipped in a missed field goal and Marcus Jacobson followed that up with a triple to bring the Tigers within 11. Unfortunately the Tigers would muster just two points the rest of the half, coming on a pair of free throws by Beck, as the Bulldogs pulled away. Michael Pick buried a three pointer from the corner with just two seconds left in the half that really deflated Lake City. Pick’s trey gave the Bulldogs a 33-17 lead at intermission.
The Tigers got off to a good start in the second half as Jacobson blocked a shot by the Bulldogs and then went in for a fantastic layup. Jacobson made the shot as he was undercut by a Bulldogs player and toppled to the ground head over heels, suffering a minor wrist injury. Kerby Rigelman checked into the game for Jacobson, but his free throw rattled in and out, and the Bulldogs scored on the ensuing possession on a bucket from Cole Olstad.
A pair of free throws and bucket from Beck helped the Tigers keep their hopes alive early in the second half, making it 39-24 in favor of the Bulldogs with 11:53 to play. However, the Tigers would draw no closer the rest of the contest as they were forced to extend their zone defense.
Lake City tried a trapping zone in addition to switching to a man-to-man defense, but the seasoned Bulldogs squad exhibited great patience with the ball and worked it around until the Tigers defense had a breakdown. Two straight turnovers against the Bulldogs full court pressure allowed for a 6-0 PEM run to push the lead to 21 points with 10:22 to go.
“We tried switching up our defense but PEM was just too quick and efficient with their ball handling skills. I thought our guys played hard to the final buzzer despite the lopsided score, and we appreciated the vocal Tiger fan support right up to the final horn,” Sweeney added.
Jacobson knocked down a three pointer from straight on to stop the Bulldogs momentum temporarily, but PEM then rattled off a 9-0 run over the next 1:59 to effectively dash any hopes of a comeback by the Tigers.
Lake City racked up 21 fouls in the second half, which led to a parade to the free throw line by the Bulldogs. PEM converted 25 of 34 opportunities at the charity stripe in the second half alone, and finished the game 30 of 42.
The Bulldogs led 54-27 with 8:23 to go, and Cody Anderson finally ended a 3:30 scoring drought by the Tigers with a pair of free throws. Shortly thereafter, Anderson blocked a shot attempt by the Bulldogs, which led to a run out and acrobatic layup by Pyle.
After PEM took its largest lead of the game at 61-31 with 4:24 remaining, Anderson scored on a turnaround in the lane, before Brown netted four straight points.
Fittingly enough, Beck scored the final points of the season on a put back with 2:20 to go. PEM scored its final 16 points of the game at the free throw line.
Beck recorded his 18th double-double of the season in his final game in a Tigers uniform. He added four blocked shots. Jacobson scored nine points. Three Tigers netted four points: Anderson, Bobb and Brown. Bobb also added seven rebounds. Pyle scored three points, and dished out a team high four assists.
Cole Olstad scored a game high 26 points for the Bulldogs, while brother Clay chipped in with 12 points.
The ultimate undoing for Lake City was 22 turnovers against the full court Bulldogs press. This led to a 25-3 advantage in points off turnovers in favor of PEM. The Tigers held a 36-31 edge on the glass, but allowed a season-high 68 points.
Lake City finishes the season 18-10, while PEM improves to 28-2 and advances to the state tournament for the second consecutive year.
“I told my players afterward that they achieved something that others thought was improbable, in advancing to the section finals. This is a memory that they will carry with them forever,” summarized the coach.
For full season recaps and video highlights, visit our website at www.lakecitybasketball.com.
vs. Zumbrota-Mazeppa
Friday, February 5 2010
Varsity
Lake City 46 Zumbrota-Mazeppa 41 (OT)
TIGERS BLOW 18 POINT LEAD; THEN HANG ON AND BEAT COUGARS 46-41
by Quinn Sweeney
After blowing an eighteen point first half lead, the Lake City Tigers boys basketball team came up with some huge plays down the stretch to get past Zumbrota-Mazeppa 46-41 in overtime on Friday night. The win vaults Lake City into sole possession of first place in the Hiawatha Valley League Blue Division at 6-2 in conference play.
The Tigers trailed 5-4 after three minutes had elapsed, but then got the offense going with an 11-0 run over a 5:24 stretch. Joe Beck contributed seven points during the run including a three point play.
The Cougars finally broke their scoring drought by canning a triple, but Lake City answered with yet another 11-0 run, this time spanning 4:41. Beck spearheaded the attack with five points during this span, and the Tigers also got buckets from Nick Bobb, Kurt Brown and Kerby Rigelman.
Alex Pyle stole the ball and went in for a lay-up to give the Tigers a 28-10 lead with 4:04 remaining in the first half, but then things started to unravel for the home squad. Lake City turned the ball over three times and missed five field goal attempts, including three from point blank range to end the first half. The Cougars were able to chip into the lead with two buckets, and the Tigers took a 28-14 lead into the locker room.
The second half got off to a less than auspicious start for Lake City as the Cougars pieced together an 11-0 run of their own to cut the lead to just three points. The Tigers missed their first nine field goal attempts of the second half, in addition to turning the ball over five times.
Just as the momentum was beginning to shift heavily in the Cougars favor, Rigelman then came up with a huge three point play for the Tigers, ending an 11:10 scoreless drought. The Cougars countered with a 10-2 run, which was capped off by a banked in three pointer to give them a two point advantage with 4:53 to play.
The Tigers continued to struggle taking care of the basketball, turning it over twice in succession, but the Cougars failed to extend the lead. Marcus Jacobson made a steal and went in for a lay up to knot the game at 35 with 3:41 to go. The Cougars retook the lead on yet another triple with 3:14 remaining.
Beck then went to work in the paint scoring with 2:30 to go to bring the Tigers within one, and following a defensive stop, he gave the Tigers the lead with 1:19 showing on the clock. The Cougars didn’t panic and hit a three pointer to take a two point lead with 48 seconds remaining.
With everyone on hand expecting the ball to go inside to Beck, Jacobson faked a three pointer and drove towards the basket and dropped the ball through the net to tie the game with 31 seconds to play. After a time out, the Cougars misfired at the buzzer and the game went into overtime.
Beck won the tip to start the extra session, and then scored on the initial possession to give the Tigers momentum. The Cougars missed three attempts from beyond the arc and a pair of free throws before Beck was fouled and sent to the line with 1:25 remaining in overtime. He made one of two shots, and the Cougars had three more field goals glance off the rim on their next possession. Brown was fouled on a rebound with 27 seconds to go and made both free throws to stretch the lead to five points. The Cougars missed three shots in the waning seconds and the Tigers finally corralled the ball as the clock hit zero.
”Our spacing on offense in the second half coupled with our lack of patience to get the shot we wanted almost cost us a very important win. We knew coming into the game that the winner would undoubtedly assure themselves of a sub section quarterfinal home game, as both teams are in the West Sub-Section of Section 1AA. Give our guys credit. We fought back after blowing a big lead, got it into overtime, and won it by outscoring the Cougars from ZM in overtime 5-0.” said coach Shawn Sweeney following a pivotal win for the locals.
Beck nearly posted a triple double, as he scored 21 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and rejected seven shots. Bobb scored six points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Jacobson added six points, three rebounds and three steals. Rigelman had a solid outing and chipped in five points and five steals. Pyle netted four points and also had four steals. Brown had four points, seven rebounds and three assists. Lake City held a 45-31 rebounding advantage in the game, but committed 21 turnovers which allowed the Cougars to make their comeback. The Tigers made just six of 16 free throw shots, while the Cougars were two for six.
“Our team was energized by a very vocal student section as fans from the wrestling match migrated over when that got done and caught the exciting finish. The crowd created a tournament atmosphere that hopefully will help us down the stretch,” added the coach.
The win boosts the Tigers to 11-6 overall and 6-2 in conference play, giving them a half game lead over Cannon Falls and Kenyon-Wanamingo with four games remaining on the conference slate.
JV
Lake City 41 Zumbrota-Mazeppa 45
The JV Tigers suffered their first loss in conference play as they fell to the Cougars 45-41. The Cougars led 44-32 late in the game, before the Tigers staged a serious rally, but couldn't forge the tie.
Ben Schramski had 11 points to lead the Tigers, while Luke Bremer added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Zach Hinrichs chipped in nine points and eight rebounds, and Coleman Sweeney netted eight points.
C-Squad
Lake City Zumbrota-Mazeppa
vs. Kenyon-Wanamingo
Monday, February 1 2010
Varsity
Lake City 32 Kenyon-Wanamingo 30
TIGERS TURN BACK THE CLOCK; NIP KNIGHTS 32-30
by Quinn Sweeney
The Lake City boys basketball team turned back the clock Monday evening, using the Tigers traditional stifling defense to knock off Kenyon-Wanamingo 32-30.
The Tigers were down by three points early, but Nick Bobb followed up a Joe Beck miss at the 15 minute mark to help jump start the offense. Marcus Jacobson scored on a slashing baseline move to the bucket on the next possession to make it 6-5 in favor of the Knights.
Lake City then missed its next four field goal attempts, before Beck tipped in his own miss to make it 8-7 in favor of the Knights with 12:40 remaining in the first half.
The game then got sloppy as the Tigers took poor care of the basketball and made some ill-advised passes on the offensive end. Lake City was held scoreless for a 6:14 span which included seven missed field goals, two missed free throws and five turnovers.
“At this point I was beginning to wonder if we were up the task at hand,” mused Tiger mentor Shawn Sweeney.
The Knights were unable to capitalize and stretch the lead to double digits given the Tigers struggles. A three pointer and a long jumper made it 13-7 Knights with 10:31 to play in the first half.
Remarkably enough, Lake City then held the Knights scoreless the rest of the period, while getting the ball to the key cog in the offense, Beck. A free throw by Jacobson finally ended the scoring drought for Lake City with 6:26 remaining until the break.
The Tigers got a big spark off the bench from Doug Pflaum, who recorded a key steal and blocked shot to change momentum in the game. Beck then went to work inside, scoring on three consecutive trips down the court in a 1:24 span to give the Tigers a 14-13 lead.
With just 15 seconds remaining in the half, Pflaum went for a steal near the Tigers bench and collapsed to the floor with a high ankle injury. Lake City held one final time before the buzzer to take a one point lead into the locker room. The Knights committed six turnovers and missed their final 13 field goal attempts during their scoreless drought.
The Knights opened the scoring in the second period with a bank shot from beyond the arc, but Jacobson knotted the game at 16 on the ensuing possession. The teams then traded baskets, and the game was tied at 20 with 14:52 to play.
Lake City then seized control of the game, cranking up its defensive intensity to hold the Knights scoreless for a stretch of 6:06. The Tigers scored eight straight points, fueled by two mid range jump shots by Kurt Brown.
After the Knights broke the scoring famine, Brown found Kerby Rigelman inside for a basket to give the Tigers a 30-22 lead with 8:05 to go. However, the Tigers turned the ball over on three consecutive possessions which allowed the Knights to whittle the lead to three points.
Lake City then missed four field goal attempts and committed two more turnovers, which enabled the Knights to tie the game with 1:58 remaining. The Tigers exhibited great patience on the ensuing possession, getting the ball inside to Beck, who was quadruple teamed. He then found Bobb on the weakside who converted the bank shot to give the Tigers a two point lead with 1:01 to play.
Lake City forced the Knights into a three point attempt with 14 seconds left, and then Brown was fouled on the rebound. The Knights only had three team fouls in the period, so they needed to rack up some quick fouls to send the Tigers to the line. However, Lake City’s inbounds pass was stolen and the Knights called time out with 12.1 seconds left to set up a final play.
The Tigers turned the tables and gave the Knights a taste of their own medicine, committing three quick fouls in rapid succession. Kenyon-Wanamingo inbounded at half court with 6.1 seconds remaining, and launched a three pointer from the top of the key as time expired. The shot came up short and didn’t even draw iron as the buzzer sounded, giving the Tigers the 32-30 victory.
“I was pleased that we were able to wake up from our stupor early in the game and buckle down on the defensive end of the floor. I also thought even though we struggled to make high percentage shots in the game we weathered the storm and came away with a much needed win if we were going to stay in the division race,” added coach Sweeney.
Beck’s 10th double-double—13 points and 17 rebounds paced the Tigers offensively. He also added a key assist to set up the game winning basket. Bobb scored six points and had five rebounds. Jacobson netted five points, while Kurt Brown scored four points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out a team high three assists. Alex Pyle had two points, five rebounds and two steals. Rigelman also added two points.
While not the most exciting game to watch, the Tigers defense limited the potent Knights offense to just 13 of 55 shooting (23.6 percent). Neither team shot the ball well from the charity stripe, as Lake City made just two of 10 attempts, while the Knights converted only one of six opportunities.
“Some nights your offensive touch isn’t always there and you have to rely on your defense. Tonight was one of those nights,” Sweeney noted.
Lake City held a 44-34 rebounding advantage, but committed 17 turnovers, compared to just nine for the Knights. The win moves Lake City to 10-6 overall on the season and 5-2 in conference play tied atop the HVL Blue with Cannon Falls. The Tigers will host Zumbrota-Mazeppa Friday evening, in a game that has both conference and sub-section seeding implications. The Cougars (10-5, 4-3) enter the game riding a seven game winning streak. Lake City will then travel to Kasson-Mantorville Monday, and visit Goodhue on Tuesday evening.
JV
Lake City 56 Kenyon-Wanamingo 49
The JV Tigers won their seventh consecutive game defeating the Knights 56-49. Lake City led at halftime 31-20 and increased the lead to as much as 19 points in the second half before the Knights rallied late. Ben Schramski had 22 points, six rebounds, and three assists to pace the Tigers offensively. Zach Hinrichs recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Luke Bremer scored eight points and had 13 rebounds.
Coleman Sweeney had 11 points, nine rebounds, eight steals and four assists.
C-Squad
Lake City 35 Kenyon-Wanamingo 39 (OT)
The Tigers had an eight point lead in the second half, only to see it slip away as the Knights rallied. The Tigers missed a shot at the end of regulation that would have won the game. Lake City took the lead in overtime, but the Knights countered with a three pointer that gave them the lead for good.
Colten Kruempel had 11 points, while Mitch Kuchinka added 10.
at Cannon Falls
Friday, January 29, 2010
Varsity
Lake City 42 Cannon Falls 52
EARLY 12 POINT HOLE PROVES TOO MUCH TO OVERCOME AS TIGERS FALL 52-42 TO BOMBERS
by Quinn Sweeney
After digging themselves in an early 12 point hole on the road Friday night, the Lake City Tigers boys basketball team clawed back, but fell short in a 52-42 loss to Cannon Falls.
The Bombers entered the game averaging 64 points on offense, but the Tigers held them in check in the early going. Both teams struggled to find an offensive rhythm to start the game, and a layup from Marcus Jacobson tied the score at five with 12:26 remaining in the half.
The Tigers were then held scoreless over the next 4:18 before another driving bucket by Jacobson cut the Bombers lead to two with just over eight minutes left in the first period.
The tempo of the game suddenly accelerated and the Bombers used it to their advantage, blitzing the Tigers with a 9-0 run over a 2:17 span to seize momentum. The Tigers turned the ball over three times and failed to record a field goal during this stretch.
Joe Beck then ended another four minute scoring drought for the Tigers, but was then whistled for his third foul with 4:10 remaining in the half. With Beck on the bench, the Bombers stretched the lead to 12 before Lake City regained its defensive intensity. The Tigers held the Bombers scoreless over the last 3:45 of the half, while Alex Pyle made a field goal, and Doug Pflaum scored on a nice assist from Kerby Rigelman to make it 21-13 in favor of Cannon Falls at intermission.
“Our offensive patience in the first half left something to be desired. I thought we missed open post players and did not exhibit good shot selection and as a result found ourselves on the short end at the half,” said coach Shawn Sweeney .
Things didn’t get much better in the early stages of the second half as the Bombers top scorer Issac Peterson was left open and buried two three pointers to stretch the lead back to double digits.
Lake City countered with a three pointer from Pyle and three consecutive baskets by Beck to pull within five. Just as the Tigers appeared to seize momentum, the Bombers answered with yet another triple.
Two free throws from Kurt Brown made it 32-26 Bombers with 11:07 to play, but the Tigers then struggled to put the ball in the basket again, and the Bombers pushed the lead to 10.
“Our defensive effort was there for the most part however, you have to give Cannon Falls credit, when we lost track of the shooters they buried the open looks,” added Sweeney.
Lake City made one final run, as Beck took the Bombers post players to school in the paint on consecutive possessions to prompt a time out.
Trailing 40-34 with 4:19 left, the Tigers had a defensive lapse, allowing the Bombers to score on hard drives to the basket and push the lead back to 10. Jacobson nailed a three pointer to cut it to a seven point deficit with 2:24 to play.
With the Tigers forced to foul, the Bombers salted the game away at the line, going 8 for 10 over the final two minutes to post the victory.
Beck recorded another double-double in the loss, posting 17 points and 12 rebounds. Jacobson scored 11 points, while Pyle netted eight. Brown had four points, and Pflaum added two.
Lake City had a 36-31 rebounding advantage, but finished just 3 for 7 from the free throw line. The Bombers went to the line 22 times, and converted 15 of those opportunities. The loss drops Lake City to 9-6 overall and 4-2 in conference play. They will return to action Monday night, as they play host to division leading Kenyon-Wanamingo (9-3, 5-2).
JV
Lake City 49 Cannon Falls 40
The JV Tigers completed the month of January a perfect 6-0 as they defeated the Bombers 49-40. Lake City led 17-2 to open the game, but by halftime the lead was only
29-24. The gap was closed to just four points late in the game, before the Tigers sealed the win with some easy transition baskets. Ben Schramski led the Tigers with 16 points. Zach Hinrichs recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
C-Squad
Lake City 37 Cannon Falls 33
The Tigers led by seven points late in the second half, and then withstood a late rally by the Bombers to move to 11-4 on the season.
vs. Goodhue
Friday, January 22, 2010
Varsity
Lake City 62 Goodhue 55
TIGERS PARADE TO THE LINE AND BEAT GOODHUE 62-55
by Quinn Sweeney
Alex Pyle poured in a career-high 19 points, including an impressive 11 for 12 shooting display at the free throw line, as the Lake City Tigers boys basketball team secured an important 62-55 win over Goodhue in HVL Blue Division play Friday night.
After the Wildcats opened the scoring with a pair of free throws, the Tigers caught fire from the field, going on a 12-0 run over a span of 3:19 to seize early momentum. Marcus Jacobson and Alex Pyle each connected from long distance, while Nick Bobb scored two buckets during this stretch.
Great defense by the Tigers, held the potent Wildcats offense scoreless for four and a half minutes. Blayne Erie, who leads the Hiawatha Valley League in scoring at 21 points per game, netted the first field goal of the game for the Wildcats.
“I felt we got off to a great start on both ends of the court and seemingly had control of the tempo like we wanted, and then out of the clear blue we had a bundle of successive turnovers which allowed Goodhue an opportunity to crawl back into the game,” quipped victorious coach Shawn Sweeney following the contest.
A put back by Joe Beck gave the Tigers their largest lead of the game at 20-7 with 8:11 showing until intermission. Then Blayne, and his younger brother Ashton ignited the Wildcats offense as the pair combined to score the last 15 points of the half for the Wildcats.
The Tigers meanwhile went stagnant on offense and were held without a point for four minutes before Beck’s bucket with 1:02 left in the half gave the Tigers a 26-22 edge. Lake City came up with a stop on defense to end the half and enjoyed a four point lead at the break.
Bobb scored Lake City’s first four points of the second half to help the Tigers maintain a four point lead. However, three consecutive turnovers allowed the Wildcats to score in transition and grab their first lead since 2-0.
A basket from Beck tied the score at 32 with 12:57 to play. Bobb gave the Tigers the lead a few minutes later, then Pyle hit a pair of free throws and canned a triple, giving Lake City a 41-36 lead with 8:59 to play.
Suddenly both teams became unconscious from the field, as they combined to score 23 points in a three minute scoring frenzy. A 15 foot jumper by Pyle gave the Tigers a four point edge, but the Wildcats answered 10 seconds later with a three pointer. Lake City then moved the ball quickly upcourt and Kerby Rigelman drained a shot from beyond the arc.
The Wildcats had yet another answer, as Brandon Hadler dropped in his second straight from long distance to bring the Wildacts within a point with 7:31 to play. Great passing by the Tigers allowed Beck to score an easy lay-in with 6:23 to go. Beck and Jacobson then each split a pair of free throws before a bucket by Rigelman in transition made it 52-45 with 3:53 to play.
Goodhue did not go quietly as Blayne Erie drilled a rainbow three pointer to bring the Wildcats within four. After the teams traded free throws, Pyle was summoned to the charity stripe with 1:27 to play, where he drilled a pair to push the lead back to seven.
Blayne Erie answered with two free throws of his own, before Pyle countered with two more connections from the line with 1:03 to go. Ashton Erie made a circus shot, and following a Tigers turnover, Blayne Erie cut the Tigers lead to just three points with 34.6 seconds remaining.
Pyle was then sent back to the free throw stripe where he came up big again, hitting a pair to push the lead back to five. Blayne Erie’s three point attempt was no good and the Tigers secured the rebound and passed the ball ahead to Kurt Brown. Brown was intentionally fouled and made one of the two free throws to make it a six point game with seven seconds remaining.
Pyle was fouled on the inbounds pass, and he split a pair of shots, foiling his bid for a perfect evening from the line. A shot from the Wildcats was no good as the horn sounded, and the Tigers walked away 62-55 victors.
“We did weather another tightly contested battle late in the second half as Joe Beck’s free throw touch disappeared, but was rescued by classmate Alex Pyle who had ice water in the veins down the stretch,” coach Sweeney noted.
Pyle scored 16 of his career high 19 points in the second half. Beck recorded his eighth double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds. He also had three assists and three blocks. Bobb netted 12 points in the game, while Rigelman scored a season-high nine points off the bench. Jacobson scored four points and added a season-high seven rebounds from his guard position. Brown rounded out the scoring column with three points.
Lake City held a 34-23 edge on the glass, and especially important was a 9-0 advantage in second chance points. The Tigers committed 22 turnovers, compared to just 11 for Goodhue. The Wildcats parlayed that into a 21-11 advantage in points off turnovers.
The Tigers finished 14 for 27 (52 percent) at the line as a team. Pyle’s efforts notwithstanding, Lake City converted just three of 15 opportunities. The victory moves Lake City to 9-5 overall and 4-1 in conference play. The Tigers now share the HVL Blue Division lead with Cannon Falls and Kenyon-Wanamingo.
Lake City will return to action Monday night, where they will travel to Kasson-Mantorville seeking to avenge a 43-34 setback from December.
JV
Lake City 59 Goodhue 56
The Tigers remained undefeated in 2010, holding off the Wildcats 59-56. Lake City trailed 48-47 with 3:00 to play, but scored eight straight to take the lead.
Zach Hinrichs had 19 points and nine rebounds, while front line mate Luke Bremer had 19 points and eight rebounds. Ben Schramski netted 14 points and corraled a season-high eight rebounds.
Coleman Sweeney added a team-high eight assists and four steals for the Tigers.
C-Squad
Lake City 36 Goodhue 32
The C-Squad Tigers won their second game in a row as they got past Goodhue 36-32. The win moves the squad to 10-4 on the season.
at Pine Island
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Varsity
Lake City 59 Pine Island 43
BALANCED ATTACK LEADS TIGERS TO CONVINCING 59-43 WIN OVER PINE ISLAND
by Quinn Sweeney
The Lake City Tigers boys basketball team returned to its winning ways Tuesday night with a convincing 59-43 win over Pine lsland.
Lake City scored the first four points of the game, before the Panthers answered with a three pointer. The Tigers made their first four field goal attempts, as two baskets from Kurt Brown on consecutive trips down the floor made it 8-3 Lake City just three minutes into the contest.
The Panthers countered with five quick points, before another bucket from Brown and a basket from Joe Beck helped the Tigers maintain the lead. A pesky Panthers squad started hot from the field as well and they kept it close in the early stages. The Tigers led 16-14 with 10:38 remaining until halftime before a 12-0 run over the next 8:19 changed momentum of the game. The scoring run featured a beautiful behind the back pass from Alex Pyle to Nick Bobb, and two buckets from Beck.
The Tigers committed a foul on the half’s final play, sending the Panthers to the line for three free throws. They were able to convert two of them to make it 30-18 in favor of Lake City at intermission.
Lake City quickly put the game out of reach with a 10-0 spurt over the first 2:50 of the second half. Beck scored six points during this stretch.
“I thought we showed improvement in our offensive patience ,and in our ability to locate an open teammate when Pine Island chose to double team Joe,” noted coach Shawn Sweeney.
A bucket from Cody Anderson gave Lake City its largest lead of the game, 45-23, with 11:21 remaining. The Tigers offense then went stagnant and was held scoreless for 3:37 before Pyle knocked down a shot to make it 47-28.
Lake City was limited to just three points over the ensuing 5:07, and the Panthers closed the gap to 50-36 with three minutes to play. Two free throws from Adam Maciejczak and six points from Blaine Hinck helped keep the Panthers at bay.
Beck led the Tigers with 12 points and seven rebounds despite playing just five minutes in the second half. Brown netted a career-high 10 points and added four assists. Bobb scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds. Pyle had six points, five assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Blaine Hinck also had six points for the Tigers. Marcus Jacobson and Doug Pflaum each scored four points, while Anderson and Kerby Rigelman had three points apiece. Maciejczak had two points, and Justin Cerwinske added one.
“This was a satisfying win from the standpoint that our starting lineup took care of business from the outset, allowing our entire roster to see extended playing time,” commented Sweeney following the HVL Blue Division win.
Lake City had a 33-22 edge on the glass and an 11-6 advantage in points off turnovers. Everyone contributed in the victory, as was evidenced by the 19-4 advantage in points off the bench for the Tigers.
With the win, the Tigers improve to 8-5 overall and 3-1 in conference play. Lake City will host Goodhue in a big HVL Blue showdown on Friday night, and then travel to Kasson-Mantorville on Monday night.
JV
Lake City 50 Pine Island 25
The JV Tigers won their fourth straight game, blowing out the Panthers 50-25. Freshman Ben Schramski led the Tigers in scoring again with 17 points on 7 of 14 shooting. Fellow freshman Coleman Sweeney bumped over to point guard to fill in for the injured Jake Griebenow and delivered eight points, seven rebounds, eight steals, and five assists.
Nate Huppert added a career-high eight points. The Tigers had a commanding 28-5 edge in points off turnovers and a 13-0 advantage in second chance points.
C-Squad
Lake City Pine Island
at Kenyon-Wanamingo
Friday, January 15, 2010
Varsity
Lake City 52 Kenyon-Wanamingo 55 (OT)
THREE POINTER AT BUZZER NO GOOD AS TIGERS FALL 55-52 IN OVERTIME
by Quinn Sweeney
The Lake City Tigers boys basketball had their chances, but a 5:20 scoring drought spanning the end of regulation and overtime led to a 55-52 overtime setback to Kenyon-Wanamingo Friday night.
Both teams shot the ball well out of the gate, as they traded buckets early and often. Marcus Jacobson’s three pointer gave the Tigers a 10-9 lead just two and a half minutes into the contest.
The momentum of the game really shifted in the ensuing minute as Joe Beck twice drove the lane and twice was whistled for an offensive foul. Beck was summoned to the bench with 13:48 remaining in the half.
Cody Anderson came into the game and provided a big spark off the bench with an array of post moves. Anderson made two consecutive baskets to give the Tigers a 14-11 lead. After a jumper from Jacobson, the Knights countered with a 7-0 spurt and grabbed a 20-16 edge.
Lake City answered with a 7-0 run of their own, as Jacobson hit a three pointer, Anderson made a hook shot, and Beck hit a shot in the lane upon his re-entry into the game.
The Knights hit two triples to retake the lead, but the Tigers scored the final five points of the half and held the Knights scoreless over the final 3:18 to take a 30-29 lead into the locker room.
“Both teams shot well in the first half and we continually found ourselves a half step behind when closing out the KW shooters,” noted coach Shawn Sweeney.
Nick Bobb opened the scoring in the second half, but a three point play from the Knights tied the game on the ensuing possession. A put back from Beck forged the seventh tie of the game at 36 apiece with 13:44 to play.
After taking nearly a minute off the clock, the Knights hit a three pointer from the corner and were fouled on the play. The four point play really changed the momentum of the game, as the Tigers misfired on the next possession, before the Knights banked in a three pointer from the wing to take a seven point lead.
Alex Pyle knifed an errant pass near midcourt and took it in for a layup, but the Knights hit yet another triple on the ensuing possession to open their largest lead of the game at 46-38 with 8:54 to play.
The Tigers turned to their go to player in Beck, and he was up to the challenge, scoring on consecutive possessions to bring Lake City within four. After a defensive stop, Pyle buried a three from the top of the circle to make it a one point game with 6:53 to play.
The teams then combined to miss the next eight field goal attempts, before Kurt Brown corralled a missed shot and was fouled in the act of shooting. Brown knocked down both free throws to give the Tigers a one point lead with 3:22 to play. The Knights tied the game with a free throw the next time down and after a Tigers miss, retook the lead following a jumper with 2:20 to play.
Jacobson missed a three pointer on the Lake City possession, but Bobb came up with a huge offensive rebound and put back to knot the score at 49 with 1:33 to play. The Knights held for the final shot, but came up empty on a 26 foot desperation shot at the buzzer.
Lake City had the first possession in overtime, but the Tigers missed two shots in the lane and the Knights pushed the ball up the court in transition. Jacobson hustled home on defense and drew an apparent charge call, but it was whistled a blocking foul, and the Knights converted one of two to take a one point lead.
On the Tigers possession, a three point attempt from Jacobson rimmed out and the Knights controlled the rebound. After playing keep away for two minutes, the Tigers were whistled for a foul with 1:18 to go. The Knights cashed in on both free throws to pull ahead by three.
Beck then sliced to the basket and scored, but was whistled for traveling before the shot. The Tigers were forced to foul, and the Knights obliged by making only one of four free throw attempts. Lake City committed a turnover with 26 seconds to play, and the Knights converted another free throw to take a five point lead. Pyle nailed a three pointer with six seconds to go, making it a two point game, but fouled out of the game on the ensuing inbounds pass.
The Knights made one of two free throws, and Beck then dribbled the length of the floor. He had an open look from 23 feet at the buzzer, but the shot was too strong off the backboard and spun out as the buzzer sounded.
“This was a classic HVL battle in which we had golden opportunities to pull out a win on the road. Two untimely turnovers and a couple of questionable shot choices late sealed our fate in this one. There are no easy games in the league this year,” Sweeney added.
Pyle’s 11 points, three assists and three steals led the Tigers. Beck was limited to just 10 points on the evening, but added eight rebounds and four assists. Bobb netted eight points, and grabbed a career high 13 rebounds. Anderson and Jacobson also had eight points. Brown rounded out the scoring column for the Tigers with seven points in the game.
A telling statistic in a close game is often found at the free throw line, and it played a big role in the Knights victory. Kenyon-Wanamingo finished 11 of 19 at the charity stripe, while Lake City finished just three of five.
JV
Lake City 53 Kenyon-Wanamingo 30
Lake City enjoyed a 31-18 halftime advantage and cruised to the win on the road. Freshman Ben Schramski continued his great play, scoring 24 points in the game.
C-Squad
Lake City 36 Kenyon-Wanamingo 38
The Tigers trailed by five points with a minute to play, before Brandyn Oliver hit a three pointer to bring the Tigers within two. Lake City stole the ball and missed two shots from point blank range before the ball went back over to the Knights. After forcing an over-and-back violation, the Tigers had one last shot but came up empty on a baseline jumper just before the horn.
vs. Triton
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Varsity
Lake City 65 Triton 63
BECK SCORES CAREER HIGH 37 AS TIGERS HOLD OFF COBRAS 65-63
by Quinn Sweeney
Joe Beck took his game to a new level on Tuesday night, carrying the Lake City boys basketball team when they needed him the most, as the Tigers held off Triton 65-63.
Beck’s dazzling night included a career-high 37 points, which is good for the fourth best single game effort in school history. Randy Breuer had games of 43, 42, and 41 points during the 1979 state championship playoff run.
The Tigers mustered just two points over the first four minutes of play and found themselves in an early 5-2 hole. Marcus Jacobson knocked down a long jumper on a pass from Alex Pyle to jumpstart the Tigers, and then hit a shot from beyond the arc on the ensuing possession to give the Tigers a 7-5 lead. Beck scored in the paint, and Jacobson canned another triple as Lake City opened a 12-6 advantage with 11:29 to go in the half.
Lake City was then held scoreless for the next 3:03, before Cody Anderson broke the ice on a nice feed from Beck. Anderson returned the favor on the next possession going high-low to find Beck. Another hoop from Anderson gave the Tigers a 20-14 edge with 5:50 remaining in the half.
The Cobras rallied with some transition points, going on a 7-1 run in a 2:57 span to forge a tie at 21. Beck scored the final six points of the half for the Tigers, but the Cobras added a pair of free throws with 2.7 seconds remaining. Jacobson nearly recreated his half court dramatics at the horn, but his heave glanced off the rim. The Tigers took a 27-23 lead into the locker room.
Beck took over in the second half, scoring the Tigers first 15 points of the frame. The Tigers took a nine point lead just two minutes into the half when Beck went up with one hand in the lane, snatched a pass from Nick Bobb, and put the ball in on a reverse layup. The Cobras answered with a bucket in transition, before Beck answered with an easy bucket in the paint.
Triton exploded on a 7-0 run over 1:32 to cut the Tigers lead to just two points before three more baskets from Beck helped Lake City maintain the lead. The Cobras finally edged ahead with 9:38 to play following a three pointer, but Alex Pyle answered with a triple of his own to give the Tigers a 45-44 lead.
With the Tigers clinging to a 50-49 lead with six minutes to go, Beck came up with a huge three point play, following a scramble for the ball under the basket. The Cobras answered with a triple, but Beck took the ball at the elbow and sliced his way to the basket for a lay-in on the next Tigers possession to push the lead back to three.
Lake City held Triton scoreless for 3:10 late in the game, meanwhile Beck was triple teamed and found a cutting Kurt Brown, who netted a lay up to give Lake City a 57-52 lead with 2:54 to play.
A pair of free throws by Pyle made it 61-54 in favor of the Tigers with 1:07 remaining. Bobb corralled an errant Cobras shot and hit one of two free throws to push the lead to eight with just 50 seconds to play. The Cobras scored a basket in the paint and following a missed bonus free throw by the Tigers, added another lay up to slice the lead to four points with 33 ticks to go.
Beck split a pair of free throws before the Cobras hit a triple from five feet beyond the arc to make it 63-61 Lake City with 15 seconds to play. Beck slipped past his man and Pyle hit him in stride on a breakaway opportunity, before he was intentionally fouled by the Cobras. He was able to hit one of the two free throws, and then the Tigers inbounded with 11.7 seconds to play. Beck was immediately fouled upon receiving the inbounds pass and again split a pair of shots to give the Tigers a 65-61 lead. The Cobras threw up a desperation three pointer which was no good, and then scored a put back basket with one second remaining. The Tigers players and fans exhaled as they held off the Cobras 65-63.
Following the exciting finish a visibly relieved coach Shawn Sweeney was quick to point out, “Even though we were less than stellar from the line late in the game, we persevered and found a way to win.”
“We shut down Garrett Schafer, Triton’s leading scorer, limiting him to just 12 points (he averages 21.5 ppg)using an array of Tiger defenders,” he added. “
In addition to his career-high 37 points, Beck also added 17 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots. Jacobson netted 10 points and dished out four assists. Bobb and Pyle each scored five points. Bobb also had eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks. Anderson had four points and added two assists. Rounding out the scoring for the Tigers, Brown and Zach Griebenow each had two points.
“We need to improve on our passing as well as our shot selection, as every opponent will be looking for ways to stop Joe,” Sweeney concluded.
Lake City finished just 10 of 20 from the free throw line, including 6 of 13 over the final 1:07 of the game. The Cobras weren’t much better, making nine of 19 shots from the line. Lake City had a 39-37 rebounding advantage, but the Cobras held a 17-6 edge in second chance points. The win moves Lake City to 7-4 overall on the season and 2-0 in conference play. The Tigers will travel to Kenyon-Wanamingo (6-1, 2-1) for a key conference showdown Friday night, and then travel to Pine Island (1-8, 0-2) on Tuesday. The next home game will be Friday, January 22 vs. Goodhue.
JV
Lake City 62 Triton 43
The Tigers enjoyed a 31-23 lead at halftime and cruised to the 62-43 win. Ben Schramski continued his solid play, netting 22 points. Zach Hinrichs had 12 points and 11 rebounds and Coleman Sweeney added 10 points and eight rebounds as the Tigers improved to 6-5.
C-Squad
Lake City 33 Triton 18
The Tigers C-Squad held Triton under 10 points in both halves and rode the strong defensive showing to victory.
at Zumbrota-Mazeppa
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Varsity
Lake City 58 Zumbrota-Mazeppa 44
TIGERS OPEN CONFERENCE PLAY WITH 58-44 TRIUMPH OVER COUGARS
by Quinn Sweeney
The Lake City Tigers boys basketball team opened up conference play with a 58-44 win over Zumbrota-Mazeppa on Tuesday evening. The Tigers rode a balanced attack and received a complete team effort in the victory.
The game got off to a sloppy start as the teams combined for 12 turnovers over the first 6:32 of the contest. The Tigers led 5-3, but the Cougars responded with six straight points. Joe Beck scored six of the Tigers first seven points, and a basket by Beck and a three pointer from Marcus Jacobson gave the Tigers a 10-9 lead.
The Cougars and Tigers exchanged baskets over the next three minutes as a basket from Beck tied the score for the third time at 15 all with 7:35 to play in the half.
The Tigers were then sparked by the play of Cody Anderson and Zach Griebenow as they went on a decisive 12-3 run over a 6:34 span to open up a seven point lead. Griebenow stole an errant Cougars cross court pass, and then went coast-to-coast for a bucket that energized the Tigers. Anderson scored on a nice post move on the baseline on the ensuing possession and Griebenow added two assists during this run.
Beck was then summoned to the bench after picking up his second personal foul with two minutes remaining before halftime. Anderson came up big again, this time completing a three point play with 56 seconds to go in the period. Jacobson found Griebenow on a back door cut with just seconds remaining in the half and the bucket gave the Tigers a 32-24 halftime lead.
Lake City threatened to run away with the game in the second half as they opened up a double digit lead when Jacobson knocked down a jumper to open the period. Kurt Brown added a jumper from the baseline and the Cougars called time out to regroup.
The Cougars responded with five quick points to cut the Tigers lead down to six, but Beck came up with another huge play just as he has done all season. Following a missed shot, he sliced down the lane and tipped the ball in high off the glass to give the Tigers a 42-34 lead with 11:04 to play. Griebenow found Nick Bobb for a layup on the ensuing possession and following a Cougars turnover, Jacobson dished to Anderson and the Tigers had a 12 point lead.
Leading by double digits, the Tigers tried to take the air out of the ball, but a couple steals by the Cougars allowed them to creep back in the game. A bucket in the paint by the Cougars made it 49-41 Lake City with 3:22 to go.
Beck delivered what turned out to be the knockout punch on the ensuing possession as he went up and under the Cougars defender for an easy lay-in. The Tigers 2-3 zone defense stymied the Cougars on the next trip down the floor, as 57 seconds ran off the clock before a shot was even attempted. Bobb corralled the Cougars miss and the Tigers salted the game away at the charity stripe, where they were a season best 13 for 17.
Beck recorded his sixth double-double in ten games this season, as he netted 14 points and 12 rebounds. He also added two assists and two blocked shots. Anderson played his best game of the season, and finished with 11 points and five rebounds. Bobb netted 10 points, collected five rebounds, dished out three assists, blocked two shots and added two steals in a productive night from his forward position. Jacobson scored nine points, and also had a team high five assists and three steals. Brown had eight points and four rebounds. Griebenow’s solid performance off the bench saw him collect six points and dish out five assists. “We overcame adversity early in the contest between foul trouble and turnovers . This was without a doubt our best balanced effort of the season, “said Sweeney following a very satisfying road win at Zumbrota.
The Tigers had a 35-34 edge in rebounding, and had a 20-14 advantage in points off turnovers. The two key team stats in the game were the Tigers 13-9 scoring edge at the free throw line and a 17-3 edge in points off the bench. Lake City moves to 6-4 overall on the season and 1-0 in conference play. The Tigers will enjoy a bye Friday night before returning to the home floor to take on Triton (5-2, 1-0) on Tuesday night.
JV
Lake City 63 Zumbrota-Mazeppa 49
The game was tied at 25 at intermission, but the Tigers opened the second half on a 22-5 run and never looked back. Ben Schramski had the hot hand all night long, finishing 13 for 16 from the field as he netted 31 points.
Luke Bremer added 12 points and eight rebounds.
C-Squad
Lake City 22 Zumbrota-Mazeppa 40
Playing for the first time in two weeks, the Tigers C-Squad stumbled out of the blocks against the Cougars and found themselves trailing 23-11 at halftime. The Cougars went on a 12-2 run to open the second half and daggered any hope of a comeback. Nick Oeltjen led Lake City with six points.
vs. Kasson-Mantorville
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Varsity
Lake City 34 Kasson-Mantorville 43
KOMETS BEAT TIGERS FOR HOLIDAY CHAMPIONSHIP
by Quinn Sweeney
Poor offensive execution and 22 turnovers proved to be too much for Lake City to overcome as they dropped the championship game of their own Holiday Tournament 43-34 to Kasson-Mantorville.
The KoMets (5-2) employed an aggressive man-to-man defense and hounded Tigers point guard Marcus Jacobson each and every time he brought the ball up the court. Lake City turned the ball over three times and missed a field goal before finally getting on the board with a Joe Beck three point play. Beck’s basket and free throw cut the KoMets lead to 6-3 with 13:59 remaining until halftime.
The sloppy play continued as the Tigers struggled to get into their offensive sets against the pressure KoMets defense. Despite five turnovers in the next five minutes and change, the Tigers trailed only 10-9 with 8:38 to play until halftime.
After exchanging buckets, the KoMets pulled away from the Tigers over the final 5:27 of half. Lake City missed five straight field goal attempts, and the KoMets capitalized with two jumpers from the elbow. Overall a 10-4 run pushed the KoMets to a 24-17 halftime lead.
The KoMets pushed their lead to 10 points just four minutes into the second half, and the teams exchanged baskets over the next four minutes. Kasson-Mantorville led 35-25 with 10:11 to play.
The Tigers didn’t go quietly, as Zach Griebenow knocked down a pair of free throws, and then Beck split a pair to bring the Tigers within seven. A beautiful touch pass by Beck set up Bobb for an easy shot to bring the Tigers within five, at 35-30 with 6:00 to go.
After a KoMets free throw, a slashing Beck cut the lead to four with 5:35 remaining, and then blocked a KoMets shot to help the Tigers regain possession. In what turned out to be the most controversial play of the game, Bobb went up for a shot and was fouled on the ensuing possession. However, the referee at half court ruled a traveling violation was committed before the shot attempt, nullifying the three point play opportunity for the Tigers.
After running a minute off the clock, the KoMets converted a jumper to push the lead back to six points with 4:27 to play. Another terrific touch pass from Beck set up Kurt Brown for a lay-in that made it 38-34 in favor of K-M with 3:52 to go.
The Tigers self destructed with three consecutive turnovers and the KoMets split a pair of free throws each time to extend the lead to seven points. Forced into desperation mode, Lake City missed seven three pointers over the final two minutes.
Beck’s 13 points, 18 rebounds, six blocks and five assists led the Tigers offensively. Bobb had eight points and seven rebounds. Brown played his best game of the season, as he netted eight points, grabbed five rebounds, and had three steals. Jacobson finished with three points, while Griebenow added two. The Tigers had a 42-34 edge in rebounds, but committed 22 turnovers to just 12 for the KoMets. The KoMets had a 16-5 advantage in points off turnovers. The teams combined to shoot 0 for 27 from three point range in the game.
“You have to give K-M’s hounding full court defense credit for effectively disrupting our offense. Our guys battled hard but we made too many mistakes to be able to post victory number six on the season,” said coach Sweeney following the loss.
JV
Lake City 61 Kasson-Mantorville 64 (6 OT)
In what turned out to be an epic championship game, the Tigers ran out of gas in the sixth overtime period and fell to the KoMets 64-61. The game featured 11 lead changes and 12 ties. Leading by one with 20 seconds left, the Tigers forced the KoMets to fire up a three pointer. The ball swished through the net to give the KoMets a two point lead and the Tigers turned the ball over on the ensuing possession.
After a foul, the KoMets made only one of two shots at the line to give the Tigers one last chance. A three pointer was too strong and the final horn sounded as the KoMets players celebrated the win.
Lake City was led by Zach Hinrichs, who had 31 points and 12 rebounds. Luke Bremer had 13 points and 15 rebounds. Coleman Sweeney had 10 rebounds and nine assists. The Tigers were hurt by 34 turnovers and only made 3 of 27 attempts from beyond the arc.
vs. Meadow Creek Christian
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Varsity
Lake City 67 Meadow Creek Christian 41
BECK's NEAR TRIPLE-DOUBLE GUIDES LAKE CITY TO 67-41 ROUT OF SAINTS
by Quinn Sweeney
After being held in check the past few games, Joe Beck delivered his most complete masterpiece of the season to help Lake City end its three game skid as they defeated Meadow Creek Christian 67-41 on Tuesday evening.
Beck wasted no time opening the scoring as he banked in a shot just 12 seconds into the game. On the next possession, he was triple teamed and found a wide open Nick Bobb for a lay-up. Beck then put back a missed shot on the ensuing possession to prompt a Saints time out just two minutes into the contest. “Joe came to play right from the opening tip, and when he asserts himself he fuels our team,” said coach Shawn Sweeney.
Marcus Jacobson hit a three ball and Beck split a pair of free throws on two trips to the line to give the Tigers an 11-0 edge. Bobb knocked down a pair of free throws to push the lead to 13 before the Saints finally got on the board 7:19 into the game on a long field goal. Meadow Creek misfired on its first nine field goal attempts and turned the ball over three times during this span.
The Saints then turned up their defensive pressure which allowed them to go on a 9-2 run over a 3:39 span to cut the Tigers lead to 15-9. Cody Anderson scored on a nice feed from Zach Griebenow and Beck tipped in a missed shot to give the Tigers a 19-11 lead with 6:21 remaining until halftime.
The Saints countered with a quick 7-2 spurt that made it just a three point advantage for the Tigers with 3:14 until halftime. Bobb made a jumper in the lane following a spin move, and Jacobson knocked down a shot from the top of the key to push the lead back to seven.
The Saints missed a three pointer with three seconds remaining in the half and Kurt Brown corralled the rebound. Brown then dished off to Jacobson who took two dribbles and delivered one of the most dynamic plays of the season as he made a 60 foot heave as the buzzer sounded. “Marcus showed no emotion when he drained the shot before half. Just another day at the office,” quipped Sweeney.
The Saints scored first in the second half, but Brown answered with two buckets, and Beck added a tip-in as the Tigers seized a 34-20 advantage with 14:03 remaining. The Saints answered with a three ball in transition, but the Tigers responded with six straight points that featured another bucket from Brown and a nifty hook shot by Beck.
“Our ability to run our offense paint to perimeter is a definite key to our ability to be successful as a team,” said Sweeney.
A lay-up by the Saints made it 44-28 in favor of the Tigers with 8:35 to play. Lake City slammed the door on any hope of a comeback by scoring eight straight over a 3:12 span.
Griebenow finished an alley-oop pass from Jackson Hinck late in the game as everyone in uniform saw the floor for the Tigers. Senior Blaine Hinck finished with 10 points over the final 3:34 that included two three pointers.
One of Beck’s most impressive lines of the season—18 points, 23 rebounds, nine blocks and two assists paced the Tigers. Bobb also played his best game of the season, as he scored 11 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and swatted three Saints shots. “Nick turned in his first double-double of the season making life miserable in the paint for the visitors,” noted Sweeney.
Blaine Hinck’s hot hand helped the Tigers finish with three players in double figures. Jacobson scored nine points and corralled five rebounds. Anderson and Brown each scored six points and had three rebounds. Cameron Ender, Jackson Hinck and Griebenow each scored two points. Justin Cerwinske rounded out the scoring for Lake City with a free throw.
“I was pleased with our defensive intensity from the outset. Meadow Creek came into the game averaging 68 points a game and their leading scorer averaging 19.5. We answered the challenge as senior guard Doug Pflaum held their top guy scoreless on the night, and the supporting cast made life difficult for the Saints throughout the contest,” said Sweeney.
Lake City held a commanding 54-31 advantage in the rebounding department, and a 16-11 edge in second chance points. The Tigers committed 20 turnovers compared to 15 for the Saints, however Lake City finished with a 16-3 advantage in points off turnovers. Lake City improves to 5-3 overall on the season and faced Kasson-Mantorville (4-2) Wednesday night for the Holiday Tournament Championship.
JV
Lake City 53 Meadow Creek Christian 35
The Tigers dominated in the first half, leading 37-19 at the break and held off the Saints for the first round win.
vs. Byron
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Varsity
Lake City 37 Byron 47
BEARS BEAT TIGERS 47-37
by Quinn Sweeney
The Lake City Tigers boys basketball team was unable to overcome 27 turnovers—15 of which came in a sloppy first half as they dropped their third straight game Tuesday night to Byron 47-37.
The game got off to a slow start, as the score was tied at four, five minutes in. The Tigers then got baskets from Joe Beck and Nick Bobb on the next two possessions to open up an 8-4 lead. The Bears countered with six straight points, but Bobb scored again to knot the score at 10 with 8:37 remaining until half.
Lake City then turned the ball over on five consecutive possessions and the Bears capitalized on yet another defensive lapse by the Tigers to bury three straight triples and push their lead to 19-10 with 6:15 remaining.
The Tigers had trouble handling the Bears pressure in the first half, committing 15 turnovers in the frame. Kurt Brown hit a pair of free throws and Alex Pyle knocked down a jumper off a steal to cap the scoring for the Tigers in the first half. Neither team scored the last 3:15 of the first half, as the teams combined for four turnovers and three missed free throws.
Byron’s Zach Southwick took advantage of the Tigers 2-3 defense in the early stages of the second half, knocking down two triples to give the Bears a 29-18 lead with 15:59 to play. Beck scored on a feed from Marcus Jacobson and Pyle hit a pull up jumper to draw the Tigers back within seven points. The teams then traded two point baskets over the next four minutes, with the Bears holding a 35-28 edge with 9:33 to play. Byron then deflated the Tigers comeback attempt with a key 9-3 run over the next 5:28.
Pyle connected on two three pointers late in the game, but it was not enough as the Tigers ran out of time. Pyle’s career high 12 points led the Tigers. He also added three rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Bobb had 10 points and five rebounds. Beck shot the ball only seven times in the contest, and connected on three of those attempts for just six points. However, Beck did coral 15 rebounds in the game. The two telling team statistics were the 27 turnovers for the Tigers, which led to 19 Bears points and a seven to three edge in three pointers made for the Bears.
“You just can’t turn the ball over 27 times and expect to beat a good team. Byron is one of the favorites in the Gold division of the HVL as well as in the sub section. Our effort was good again, but we need to make the offensive possessions count and continue to work on the fundamentals of the game as we head toward the Christmas Tournament,” noted Coach Sweeney.
After the Tigers enjoy the Christmas break, they will return to action next Tuesday, December 29, as they host the second annual Lake City Holiday Tournament. The Tigers will face Meadow Creek Christian (3-2) at 5:00 p.m. The JV squad will host Meadow Creek Christian at 10:00 a.m.
JV
Lake City 42 Byron 47
The game was deadlocked at 24 all at intermission, but the Bears opened up a nine point lead, at 40-31 late in the second half. The Tigers rallied and got within three points, but were unable to draw closer as the Bears held off the last ditch effort by the Tigers.
Zach Hinrichs had 14 points and 12 rebounds to pace Lake City.
C-Squad
Lake City 29 Byron 30
The Tigers had a 29-20 lead with six minutes remaining but saw their lead vanish as the turnovers mounted during the final minutes. Lake City had the ball with a chance for a last second shot but an inbounds pass was mishandled with five seconds left and the buzzer sounded before a shot could be put up.
vs. La Crescent
Friday, December 18, 2009
Varsity
Lake City 39 La Crescent 50
FIFTH RANKED LANCERS DEFEAT TIGERS 50-39
by Quinn Sweeney
In a highly anticipated battle of the two premier big men in the Hiawatha Valley League, Lake City’s Joe Beck and La Crescent’s James Lazarcik squared off in the paint Friday night. Beck had the upper hand early, but it was Lazarcik and his side kicks that had the final say as the fifth-ranked Lancers won 50-39.
Poor communication in the Tigers defensive scheme allowed the Lancers three uncontested three pointers to begin the game. Quickly in a 9-0 hole, Lake City responded nicely, as Beck scored six straight points and Kerby Rigelman made a nifty shot to bring the Tigers within one. The Lancers answered with a 9-3 run over the next four and a half minutes to stretch the lead to 18-11.
A basket from Kurt Brown and a three pointer from Alex Pyle made it 21-16 in favor of the Lancers with 7:12 remaining in the first half. A key turning point in the game was when the Tigers were whistled for a moving screen which negated another triple from Pyle with 2:50 remaining in the half. Lake City would manage just three points over the final 5:38 of the half and found themselves down 30-20 at halftime.
It didn’t look promising for the Tigers early in the second half, as the Lancers opened up a 34-22 lead with 14 minutes remaining. Lake City countered with a six point spurt, with four points from Nick Bobb and a bucket from Beck.
The Lancers countered with a 6-2 run that was punctuated by a two handed throw down by Lazarcik. The Tigers had one last gasp as they closed within eight points following a put back by Marcus Jacobson with 6:08 left, but missed shots on their next two possessions. The Lancers salted the game away at the charity stripe. It was just the third loss in the last 15 home games for Lake City, dating back to 2007-08.
“I thought La Crescent was very patient on offense late in the second half, and was willing to wait for us to make a defensive mistake, and like good teams do they were able to capitalize.”
Beck paced the Tigers with 11 points, five rebounds, and six blocked shots. Jacobson added 10 points and four assists. Bobb netted eight points and had seven rebounds. Rigelman netted five points, while Pyle had three points and three assists. Brown had two points to finish the scoring for the Tigers. The Lancers controlled the glass by a 37-24 margin and held a 15-7 edge in second chance points.
“Our post guys need to play more physical for us to be successful,” commented Coach Sweeney following the game.
JV
Lake City 53 La Crescent 40
After a sloppy first half, the Tigers found themselves trailing 26-19. Lake City found its groove offensively in the second half, exploding for 34 points en route to the come from behind victory.
Zach Hinrichs had 16 points and seven rebounds to lead the Tigers. Jake Griebenow added 16 points and six rebounds, while Ben Schramski netted 13 points including three second half three pointers.
C-Squad
Lake City 56 La Crescent 44 (OT)
The Tigers held the Lancers scoreless in the extra frame as they claimed victory to move to 5-1.
at Rochester Lourdes
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Varsity
Lake City 42 LOURDES 56
TIGERS SUFFER FIRST LOSS OF SEASON AT LOURDES 56-42
by Quinn Sweeney
The Lake City boys basketball team suffered its first loss of the season Tuesday, dropping a 56-42 decision to Rochester Lourdes.
Marcus Jacobson gave the Tigers a 7-5 lead with 14:42 remaining in the first half, but then the Eagles scored 10 straight points while holding the Tigers scoreless for six minutes.
Joe Beck stole an errant Eagles pass and completed a two handed slam dunk that ignited the Tigers, as it sparked a 6-0 run. However, the Tigers committed four turnovers over the final five minutes of the first half, and the Eagles scored their last seven points of the frame at the free throw line to take a 28-20 lead into intermission.
The Tigers opened the second half with two consecutive turnovers which led to four Eagles points and a 12 point deficit. Eventually the Lourdes lead would grow to 43-26 with 6:16 to play, but the Tigers fought back in the waning minutes.
Kerby Rigelman completed a three point play with 4:51 to go, and Jacobson hit a three pointer on the next possession to slice the lead down to 12. Another triple from Jacobson with 1:39 to play cut the lead to 10, but the Tigers were unable to knock down another shot the rest of the game as the Eagles sealed the win at the free throw line.
Jacobson led the Tigers with 12 points on the evening. Alex Pyle netted 11 points. Beck was limited to season lows in points (eight), rebounds (seven) and field goal attempts (six). He did block six Eagles shots in the game. Lake City got seven points from Kerby Rigelman and two each from Nick Bobb and Kurt Brown.
The Tigers shot a season low 29 percent from the field and were outscored 19-12 at the free throw line by the Eagles. Lake City, now 4-1 overall on the season will play host to eighth ranked La Crescent (3-0) Friday night.
JV
Lake City 52 Lourdes 55 (OT)
The Tigers had a chance to put the game away at the line late, but the Eagles grabbed a rebound and scored a three pointer at the buzzer to force overtime. In overtime, the Tigers had two players foul out and the Eagles claimed the three point victory.
C-Squad
Lake City 25 Lourdes 49
The Tigers found themselves in an early hole and were never able to recover. The Eagles led 25-7 at the break.
vs. Stewartville
Friday, December 11, 2009
Varsity
Lake City 48 Stewartville 46
LAKE CITY SQUEAKS BY STEWARTVILLE 48-46 IN A THRILLER
by Quinn Sweeney
It is no secret Joe Beck has been the catalyst behind Lake City’s early season success and Friday was no exception, as he put on another sensational performance as the Tigers squeaked out a 48-46 victory over Stewartville at Lincoln High School.
Beck scored the first six points of the game and Nick Bobb added a free throw as Lake City opened a 7-0 lead five minutes into the contest. Stewartville answered with an 8-0 run over the next four minutes and took the lead on a three-pointer with 9:11 remaining in the first half. The teams then traded baskets, but Stewartville’s John Gisler nailed two triples to give them a 17-14 lead with three and a half minutes remaining until intermission. Lake City was held without a field goal for the final 3:34, but did manage to knock down four of six shots at the line. Stewartville maintained a 22-18 edge at the break.
After halftime, Lake City battled back, and the teams engaged in a see-saw affair for the first nine minutes. Stewartville’s largest lead was three points during this span and Lake City knotted the score on five separate occasions. With the game tied at 31 with 9:18 remaining, Stewartville hit a pair of free throws and then added a three pointer to steal momentum. After a Lake City time out, Alex Pyle buried a three pointer to get the crowd back in it, but Stewartville countered with four straight points from the line to push the lead to 40-34 with 6:50 to play.
On the ensuing possession, Marcus Jacobson knocked down a three pointer to cut the lead in half. Bobb then split a pair of shots at the line, and Beck tipped in a missed shot to tie the game at 40 with 4:24 to play.
The lead then changed hands five times over a heart stopping last four minutes of play. Two free throws by Alex Pyle gave Lake City a 45-44 lead with 1:27 left, but Stewartville answered with two free throws of their own to retake a one point lead with 1:01 showing on the clock. Beck then turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, but redeemed himself by stealing the ball right back from Stewartville. He then scored the game winning basket with 12.8 seconds to play. After Stewartville’s shot attempted glanced off the rim, Beck corralled the rebound with 2.8 seconds left. He then split a pair of free throws and Stewartville was unable to get a shot off as the final horn went.
Beck had another dominant night statistically, as he scored 24 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, recorded six blocked shots and added two steals. Bobb and Pyle each netted eight points. Jacobson had seven points and a team-high three assists and three steals. Cody Anderson made one of two shots from the charity stripe to round out the scoring column.
Lake City held a 41-31 edge in rebounds, but turned the ball over 22 times which led to a 17-4 advantage in points off turnovers for Stewartville.
“Our goal coming in was to cut our turnovers down and that didn’t happen, but we improved at the free throw line especially late in the game and that was a difference maker,” commented Coach Sweeney following the wild finish.
“We are looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead in the next 3 games, against very formidable opponents, prior to our Christmas Tournament on Dec. 29 and 30,” he added.
JV
Lake City 50 Stewartville 33
Lake City JV evened its record at 2-2 on the season after a 50-33 triumph over Stewartville. Lake City took a 24-18 lead at intermission and then extended the lead in the second half. Lake City enjoyed a commanding 48-24 edge on the glass.
Zach Hinrichs had 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Ben Schramski added 18 points and six rebounds.
C-Squad
Lake City 41 Stewartville 24
The Tigers C-Squad team improved to 4-0 on the season after a big win over Stewartville. Colten Kreumpel led the Tigers with nine points, while Mitch Kuchinka added eight.
at Ellsworth (Wisc.),
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Varsity
Lake City 46 Ellsworth (Wisc.) 40
TIGERS COME FROM BEHIND; BEAT PANTHERS 46-40
The Lake City Tigers boys basketball team found themselves in an unfamiliar position on Thursday evening: they were trailing by five points in the second half. The Tigers cranked up the defensive intensity, holding Ellsworth (Wisc.) scoreless for six and a half minutes en route to a 46-40 victory.
For the first time all season, the Tigers found themselves trailing their opponent as Ellsworth scored a free throw just six seconds into the game. However, the Tigers responded with nine straight points, fueled by a three-pointer from Kerby Rigelman. Lake City then opened up a 13-6 lead as Alex Pyle found Cody Anderson for an easy lay-in.
The Panthers crawled back into the game with some hot shooting from beyond the arc, nailing two quick three pointers to cut the lead to just one. With the Tigers holding a 17-14 lead, the Panthers went on a 10-2 run over the final four minutes of the half to grab a 24-19 lead at intermission.
“I thought Ellsworth outhustled us to loose balls in the second quarter and we were quite content to stand and reach on defense in the later part of the first half as well. We responded to the defensive challenge issued at halftime, which quite honestly allowed us to go home with victory number three on the young season,” noted Coach Sweeney.
In the second half, both teams traded baskets in the early minutes and the Tigers found themselves in a 30-25 hole. Lake City switched back to its man-to-man defense and put the shackles on the Panthers three-point shooting, and Beck led a 10-0 Tigers run to turn momentum in the game. Beck scored six of his 12 points during this stretch and then found Kurt Brown for a bucket to end the third quarter.
Lake City took a 35-30 lead into the final quarter. A 6:28 scoring drought by the Panthers allowed the Tigers to seize control early in the fourth quarter. The Tigers saw their lead shrink to 41-36 with 4:00 remaining. Lake City had some severe struggles at the charity stripe down the stretch, missing five of six free throws during a one minute span. The Panthers were unable to take advantage, turning it over twice in the final minutes.
Beck punctuated the win by picking off an errant Ellsworth pass after the Tigers just missed two free throws with 17 seconds to play. Alex Pyle then went to the line and knocked down a pair of shots to push the lead to nine with just under 10 seconds remaining. A three-pointer by the Panthers at the buzzer accounted for the game’s final points.
Unbelievably enough, the Panthers did not make a two-point field goal attempt in the second half, but they did pour in five three pointers. Ellsworth finished with 10 triples in the game.
Beck scored eight of his team-high 12 points after intermission and added eight rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals. Nick Bobb played a solid game, recording ten points and six rebounds. Pyle had eight points, was a perfect three for three from the field, and added two assists and two steals. Marcus Jacobson and Kerby Rigelman scored five points each. Cody Anderson and Kurt Brown rounded out the scoring column for Lake City, netting four and two points respectively.
JV
Lake City 37 Ellsworth (Wisc.) 55
The Tigers JV squad fell to 1-2 on the season, losing 55-37 to the Ellsworth (Wisc.) Panthers. Lake City trailed 26-19 at halftime and a second half rally was doomed by some inopportune turnovers. For the game, the Tigers turned the ball over 26 times, which led to a 28-10 advantage in points off turnovers for Ellsworth. The Panthers held a 43-29 edge on the glass, which helped them to a 15-6 edge in second chance points. Ben Schramski had 13 points and Zach Hinrichs added 12 points and five rebounds. Coleman Sweeney had a team-high five assists and four steals.
C-Squad
Lake City 36 Ellsworth (Wisc.) 26
The Lake City Tigers C-Squad improved to 3-0 following a 36-26 win over Ellsworth (Wisc.) Thursday. A solid defensive effort in the first half allowed the Tigers to gain a 26-13 lead at halftime. The Tigers struggled offensively in the second half due to turnovers. Mitch Kuchinka led Lake City with seven points, while Colten Kruempel netted six, and Josh Atkinson added five.
vs. Wabasha-Kellogg,
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Varsity
Lake City 67 Wabasha-Kellogg 38
BECK’S 28 POINTS LEAD TIGERS TO 68-37 ROUT OF FALCONS
by Quinn Sweeney
Even a 9:05 p.m. start didn’t stop the Lake City Tigers boys basketball team from rolling to their second win as they routed Wabasha-Kellogg 67-38 Saturday night. The Tigers have now defeated the Falcons 13 straight times in the river city rivalry and are 2-0 for the first time since 2004-05.
The Falcons had no answer for the Tigers inside post play early in the game as Lake City raced to an 8-2 advantage after four minutes of play. The Tigers then scored the next 11 points and opened up a 19-2 lead with 7:35 remaining in the first half.
The Falcons missed their first 11 field goal attempts in the game, before knocking down a three-pointer with 7:18 remaining until intermission. The Tigers stout defense limited the Falcons from getting clean looks at the basket as they were able to extend the lead to 29-12 with just under three minutes remaining in the half. The Falcons scored five points in the last minute of the half to trim the Tigers lead to 30-17 heading to the locker room.
Lake City turned the ball over on the opening possession of the second half, but then picked up where they left off, going on a 14-3 run to end any chance at a Falcons comeback. Joe Beck dominated the post in the second half, scoring 17 of his game high 28 points in the period.
Everyone on the roster saw the floor for the Tigers, as they opened up their largest lead of the game, 65-33 in the closing minutes of the contest.
Beck’s dominant performance paced the Tigers. He grabbed 10 rebounds (all in the first half) to go along with his 28 points and five blocked shots. He finished 11 of 14 from the field. Marcus Jacobson scored eight points had had three assists. Cody Anderson turned in another solid effort, notching seven points, grabbing three rebounds and dishing out two assists. Alex Pyle contributed five points to go along with a team high four assists. Rounding out the scoring column for Lake City, Kurt Brown scored four points, while Nick Bobb, Doug Pflaum, and Kerby Rigelman netted three points each. Justin Cerwinske, Cam Ender and Zach Griebenow had two points apiece.
“Anytime you can get the entire squad in a varsity contest it’s good for the morale. Our guys have been working hard to date, so being able to reward them with game minutes is a good thing,” acknowledged coach Shawn Sweeney.
Rigelman added eight rebounds and helped the Tigers to a 44-37 edge on the glass. Lake City shot the ball at a 51 percent clip from the field compared to just 22 percent for the Falcons. The Tigers outscored the Falcons at the line (16-9), in points off turnovers (12-8) and points off the bench (20-15).
The Tigers return to action Thursday, December 10 as they travel across the river to take on Ellsworth (Wisc.) who is currently 0-1 on the season. Lake City will host Stewartville (2-0) on Friday evening.
JV
Lake City 52 Wabasha Kellogg 37
The Tigers raced to an early double digit lead and extended it to a 30-14 edge at halftime. Lake City maintained its defensive pressure in the second half, forcing the Falcons into 25 turnovers in the contest. Lake City outscored the Falcons 18-5 in points off turnovers.
Ben Schramski had 12 points to pace the Tigers, who are now 1-1 on the season. Zach Hinrichs added 10 points and Luke Bremer scored nine points and had 10 rebounds. Coleman Sweeney chipped in nine points and seven rebounds.
C-Squad
Lake City 44 Wabasha Kellogg 19
The Tigers moved to 2-0 on the young season with an easy 44-19 victory over the Falcons Saturday night. After starting slow in the first half, the Tigers found their groove offensively as they took a 23-10 lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Tigers defense limited the Falcons to 17 percent shooting. Meanwhile the Tigers shot the ball at a 53 percent clip in the second half.
Brandyn Oliver and Colten Krumpel each scored nine points for the Tigers. Travis Ryan netted eight points, while Mitch Kuchinka had a team high five steals and four assists.
Lake City had a 40-24 edge in rebounding and a 13-1 edge in second chance points.
vs. Kingsland Friday, December 4, 2009
Varsity
Lake City 57 Kingsland 48
BECK’S 17 POINTS AND 29 REBOUNDS LEAD TIGERS TO SEASON OPENING WIN
By: Quinn Sweeney
The Lake City Tigers boys basketball team led from start to finish and held off a furious rally by Kingsland in the final minutes to claim a 57-48 victory in the season opener Friday night.
The Tigers held the Knights scoreless for the first four minutes of the contest, meanwhile 6’7” senior center Joe Beck scored the first eight points of the season.
Kingsland finally got on the board with 13:44 to play in the first half, but the Tigers countered with a quick 8-2 spurt, gaining an 18-6 lead that prompted a Kingsland time out with 6:48 remaining in the first half.
Both squads buckled down on defense over the next few minutes, however the Tigers strung together a 7-2 run that was capped by an acrobatic double clutch lay-up by Doug Pflaum. Lake City opened up its largest lead at 25-10 with 1:26 to play in the first half. The Knights scored seven straight points to close the half and shift momentum in their favor.
After a three-pointer by Alex Pyle gave the Tigers a 30-22 lead with 15:50 remaining, Kingsland answered with six quick points to close within two. Marcus Jacobson then knocked down a jumper, followed by a pair of free throws by Pyle and a bucket from Cody Anderson put Lake City in front 38-30 with 9:46 remaining.
The Knights clawed back in the game, and following a steal and lay-up, cut the Tigers lead to 42-39 with 6:39 to play. Jacobson responded with two straight baskets to push the momentum back on Lake City’s side as the clock wound under five minutes. Beck and Kurt Brown capped the 8-0 run that looked to take the wind out of the Knights sails.
After a time out with 4:00 to play and the Tigers leading 50-39, Kingsland made things interesting as they went on a 9-2 run over the next 2:33 to close within four. After a Tigers turnover, Doug Pflaum came up huge and drew a charge on Kingsland with 1:13 left.
Pflaum then missed two free throws, but Beck came up with his 29th—and biggest rebound of the game to keep possession. Jacobson was sent to the line where he knocked down a pair of shots to push the lead to 54-48 with 42 seconds left. The Knights were whistled for travelling on the ensuing possession and Jacobson iced the game with a free throw.
Beck had a fantastic first game of his senior campaign, scoring a team high 17 points and adding a whopping 29 rebounds. He had 15 points and 19 rebounds at intermission, and also added five blocked shots and three assists in the game. Junior forward Nick Bobb scored 11 points and added three blocked shots in his varsity debut. Jacobson netted nine points, dished out a team high five assists, and swiped four steals. Rounding out the scoring for the Tigers was Pyle with seven, Anderson with six, Brown with five, and Pflaum with two.
The telling statistics in the game were the Tigers unbelievable 56-26 advantage on the glass and 22-0 edge in second chance points.
JV
Kingsland 46 Lake City 32
The game was tied at 23 all at halftime, but the Knights used a strong second half to pull away and post the victory. The Tigers led 30-29 midway through the second half, but scored only two points the rest of the way as they fell to 0-1 on the season.
C-Squad
Lake City 62 Kingsland 23
Brandyn Oliver netted 13 points and Mitch Kuchinka added 12 as the Lake City C-Squad routed Kingsland 62-23 in the season opener Friday. The Tigers opened a 6-0 lead after six minutes of play. A slew of turnovers by the Knights and excellent unselfish play in transition for Lake City allowed them to open up a 25-6 lead at intermission.
It was more of the same in the second half as the Tigers defense swarmed the Knights. For the game Lake City forced Kingsland into 30 turnovers. The Tigers were able to score 28 points off turnovers in the contest. Lake City finished with 15 assists in the game, led by Jack Falvey, who had four. Kuchinka and Austin Norton had three apiece.
The Tigers strong bench play contributed 20 points in the game. Lake City also enjoyed a 38-25 edge in rebounds.
