»Game box score. B2
»See more photos from the game. Journal-News.com
MASON — The Greater Miami Conference boys basketball showdown between Lakota East and Mason on Tuesday night lived up to the hype.
And then some.
With first place on the line, the eighth-ranked Thunderhawks escaped the Mason Arena with an entertaining 69-65 triumph in overtime to remain unbeaten overall (12-0) and in the GMC (6-0).
“We are just thrilled to be out of this gym with a win,” East coach Wally Vickers said. “That’s a team we just beat.”
The Comets (9-3, 4-2 GMC) led by as many as eight (43-35) in the fourth quarter, but the Thunderhawks stormed back behind R.J. Leppert’s 10 points in the frame.
After Leppert’s two free throws gave East a 59-56 edge with 13.5 seconds to go, Ethan King sent the game into overtime with a 3-pointer with seven ticks remaining.
Jalen Goodwin drilled a trey from the left wing to kick-start the Thunderhawks’ 8-0 run to begin the extra session.
“Ethan knocks down the 3, and at that time, momentum looks to be in our favor,” Mason coach Greg Richards said. “But then we don’t get back on defense and give their best shooter a wide open 3. That’s tough to climb back from.”
Early on, it looked as if East would cruise to its 12th straight victory.
The Thunderhawks owned a commanding 21-7 lead late in the first quarter, but the Comets woke up midway through the second frame, outscoring East 13-1 over the final 3:40 of the half to trail just 27-26.
“Our defense let up and we were trying to do too much one-on-one,” Leppert said. “Instead of running our offense and doing what we do, we got a little selfish.”
Mason took its first lead of the game at 30-28 on Miles Ballard’s layup with 5:41 left in the third quarter, and maintained an advantage until the closing minutes of regulation.
“They showed me a lot by not quitting,” Richards said. “We could have laid down. But it’s the small mental things toward the end that kind of got us.”
The Thunderhawks manufactured a quick 8-0 run in a 39-second span in the fourth quarter to grab a 53-50 lead with two minutes to go.
They then went 6-of-6 from the free-throw line and led 59-56 before the Comets drew up an inbounds play that got King free from the left wing for the game-tying 3-pointer.
“Our defensive intensity was really good in the second half and we were more active,” Vickers said. “We played with the lead really, really well in overtime.”
Senior Michael Boyd registered season highs in points (20), rebounds (eight) and steals (six) for East, which snapped a three-game losing streak to Mason.
Leppert added 12 points and four steals, while Goodwin (11 points) and junior Allante Foster (eight points, nine rebounds, four steals) also had major contributions.
The Comets put three players in double figures: Brian Carden (19 points, 11 boards), King (15 points) and JD Sprague (12 points).
Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5113 or smatthews@coxohio.com.
About the Author