LYLE — Things couldn’t have started much worse for the Lyle-Pacelli boys basketball team, but it found a way to recover as it beat LeRoy-Ostrander 64-47 in Lyle Tuesday.

Just ten minutes into the game, the Athletics (11-9 overall, 9-5 SEC) found themselves down 22-4 and LP’s top scorer Skylar Meyer was saddled on the bench with two fouls. The Cardinals (3-17 overall, 2-12 SEC) went on to lead by as many as 26-7 as Zach Royston scored all 14 of his points in the first half for LO.

“I got in foul trouble early again,” said Meyer, who finished with 15 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and five steals. “I need to stop picking up stupid fouls early in the game.”

After the slow start, LP went to work. They started by closing the first half on a 16-3 run over the final six minutes.

LP played even stronger in the second half when it surged to its first lead of the night when Skylar Meyer got a steal and hit Braden Kocer for a lay-up to make it 36-35 with 13:05 left and LP eventually closed the game on a 17-5 run to erase all doubts.

“We came out slow and after halftime we really kicked it into gear,” said LP guard Matt Kasel, who had five points and five rebounds. “We started pushing the ball and we put a press on. That really helped.”

LP head coach Casey Anderson said his team, which was playing without senior guard David Diang, may have been a little distracted on senior night.

It was LP freshman Braden Kocer and sophomore Jordan Hart who provided a bulk of the scoring with 14 points each.

“That first five minutes they wanted it and they totally outworked us,” Anderson said. “We were standing and they were working their tails off. We came out thinking they were just gonna roll over and die. We started playing well, but we still had too many one pass shots. When we run our offense, we’re a tough team to beat. We get easy shots and easy lay-ups.”

LO head coach Jason Jude said the game was a microcosm of the Cardinals’ season so far. They played solid for a nine-minute stretch, but couldn’t keep the momentum.

“The start was awesome and you can’t ask for more than that,” Jude said. “We have to find a way to maintain that.”

Nate Bunne finished with nine points, six rebounds and six assists for LO.

LO 29 18 — 47

LP 23 41 — 64

LP scoring: Skylar Meyer, 15; Jordan Hart, 14; Braden Kocer, 14; Stephen Juenger, 7; Sean Shapiro, 5; Matt Kasel, 5; Jordan Cotter, 4; free throws: 64 percent (23-for-36); rebounds: 35 (Meyer, 13); turnovers: 13

LO scoring: Zach Royston, 14; Nate Bunne, 9; Dom Lazzara, 7; Mitch Scaglione, 6; Quinn Pittelko-Leff, 5; Tony Steinkamp, 4; Jacob Souhrada, 2; free throws: 65 percent (13-for-20); rebounds: 48 (Pittelko-Leff, 10); turnovers: 17