The Parklane Pioneer boys held on for a win against the Lamar Raiders on Friday night. They did it without two starters for the final three minutes to win 66-60.
The girls reversed their fortunes from the previous meeting with Lamar, winning 49-30 over the Lady Raiders.
When Parklane’s Dane Hogan fouled out with 7:03 left in the fourth quarter, the sophomore duo of Chet Wilson and Parker Moore had to take over the point guard responsibilities.
The Pioneers were up 11 at the time 46-35 and actually ran the advantage up to 15 before Lamar started to chip away.
After Benjamin Van Cleave fouled out with 3:02 remaining, the Pioneers were forced to go smaller. The Raiders used the momentum to cut the lead to five with two minutes left and got as close as two with 28 seconds remaining.
“This is the first time we’ve been in a situation like this — holding on to a lead,” Parklane head coach Ricky Gray said. “We’re asking young, inexperienced players to do things they haven’t done. We can’t do this in practice.”
With a tight lead, the Pioneers had just what they needed — a triple possession that took 10 seconds off the clock and added four points to the lead.
Blake Brown, who finished with 31 points, was fouled with 22 seconds remaining. He made his first free throw, but missed his second and ended up with the rebound.
The referees called an intentional foul so Brown made one of two before the Pioneers inbounded the ball once again. Brown was fouled for the third time in 10 seconds and made both of his shots to put Parklane up 66-60 with 15 seconds on the clock.
Brown not only made the shots down the stretch he was able to get good looks all night in helping Parklane build its lead.
“Brown is developing into a good ballplayer,” Gray said. “He and Hogan should be our 1-2 punch in the tournament.”
Hogan was held to four points on Friday night, but the Pioneers spread the scoring around. Moore and Wilson combined for eight points, all in the fourth quarter. Blake Rhodus scored nine to go with his 14 rebounds, while Van Cleave put in six points.
With the foul trouble that started for Parklane in the first half, the Pioneers were forced to use their bench early on.
“We’re getting to be nine or 10 deep,” Gray said. “That will help us in the tournament.”
The Pioneers trotted out nine players on Friday and each one scored for Parklane.
Parklane 49, Lamar 30
The Lady Pioneers trailed 9-4 entering the second quarter, but it didn’t take long for Parklane to take control of the game.
Caitlin Adams hit a 3-pointer from the corner to start the second, and it propelled the Pioneers into a 12-0 run to take control of the game.
Adams went on to score 16 points, while Maggie Jackson led the Pioneers with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Lindsay Clark finished with 10 points.
The Raiders took back the lead briefly in the third quarter before Jackson and Adams combined to score 10 points, five each, to lead 35-25 entering the fourth.
“We were outhustled and outrebounded the last time we played them,” Parklane head coach Russell Cruise said. “That didn’t happen tonight. We got rebounds and loose balls and didn’t give up two,three or more shots each possession.”
Lamar won the first meeting 52-42, but that was before Chelsea Simmons and Kellen Choate were inserted into the starting lineup.
“They’re starting to settle in,” Cruise said. “They didn’t score like they had been, but Simmons played a great game and got some key steals.”
Simmons also drew the assignment of Lamar’s Margaret Cady, who scored 26 the last time the teams played.
Along with two other players Cruise used to run at Cady, the Raiders’ leading scorer was held to six points.
