The Seminole Ridge High School boys varsity basketball team hosted John I. Leonard High School on Friday, Nov. 22, falling 77-38 to the Lancers.
Although the Hawks commanded a lead for much of the first period, the Lancers fought back, and the Hawks ultimately ran out of steam.
The Hawks scored first a few second into the game with two points by Corey Sands. For much of the first period, the two teams traded baskets, with John I. Leonard matching Seminole Ridge basket for basket.
Though Seminole Ridge had the chance to extend the lead, missed foul shots made for missed opportunities. Nick Ryan and Sands added baskets to end the first quarter with a 10-9 lead.
In the second quarter, John I. Leonard kicked things off with back-to-back baskets, including a three-pointer to retake the lead 14-10. Sands responded with a basket to cut into the lead, but the Lancers kept up the heat, nailing two more baskets and some foul shots to begin to pull away from the Hawks.
Seminole Ridge got back into gear when Ryan nailed another two-point basket to make the score 21-16. Jalen Young added back-to-back baskets to bring the Hawks within one point of the lead, making the score 21-20.
Both teams battled for the remaining 3 minutes of the first half in a fast-paced game. First, John I. Leonard took the ball down the court and tried to dunk it, but missed. Young picked up the rebound and raced down the court to score a layup and take the lead 22-21 with 2:05 on the clock.
Though the Lancers attempted to score multiple times, they kept missing baskets. Eventually, they tied the score 22-22 with a successful foul shot. With 1:23 on the clock, John I. Leonard nailed a two-pointer to break the tie 24-22. They kept up the momentum with another basket, making the score 26-22. A few seconds later, Ryan brought the ball up the center for a two-point basket to send the Hawks into halftime trailing 26-24.
But the second half saw the Lancers steamroll Seminole Ridge, putting up 51 points to the Hawks’ 14.
Though Seminole Ridge tried to fight back, they were unable to keep the ball and put points on the board. Ultimately, the Hawks suffered a 77-38 loss.
The Hawks traveled to Inlet Grove High School on Tuesday, Nov. 26, but results were not available at press time. They host the Benjamin School on Monday, Dec. 2 for a 7:30 p.m. game.
ABOVE: Jalen Young races down the court unmatched.
