Recap: Basketball vs. SM Northwest

It took the Lancers less than 30 seconds to win the game. The ball was tipped to senior Jack Flint, who swung a long pass to junior Henry Sullivan. Sullivan banked in a layup, and the Lancers put their first points on the board. The quick drive set a pace for a clean, adrenaline-driven 72-39 victory over SM Northwest.

At the core of the victory was senior Lucas Jones, who has easily stepped up as the leader of the team on both offense and defense. Jones notched a double-double on the night, finding opportunities to score both under the basket and from outside the three-point line.

As the tallest player on the court, Jones stood at least two inches taller than any of the Northwest posts. He used this to muscle his way into the paint for easy points, but the true advantage came on the defensive end of the court. Jones notched almost 10 blocks on the night, and his physical presence in the paint made it impossible for the Cougars to finish at the rim.

“It feels great to finally get a big win,” Jones said. “Everyone stepped up and we were able to push the ball which is what we’ve been trying to do the past few games. I’m very proud of this team.”

Although Jones was the core of the team, senior guards Gunnar Englund and Jack Flint were the ones leading the all-out offensive assault that pushed the pace and kept the Lancers ahead. Both guards relentlessly attacked the Cougars’ defense, and held a formidable zone that forced key turnovers and sloppy passes.

The Cougars were unable to keep up with the pace of the Lancers, who immediately drove to the basket after every rebound and turnover. The guards had spotty luck from the three-point range, but the rebounding of Jones allowed the team to take risks and finish plays effectively. The victory improved the Lancers’ 9-7 record on the season.

“I thought that was our best game,” Englund said. “We started strong and never let them back in. It was a lot of fun.”