Athletics fall to Schaeffer Academy
Published 9:58 pm Thursday, January 2, 2014
The Lyle-Pacelli boys basketball team made a couple of big runs, but it wasn’t enough as the Athletics lost 76-63 to Schaeffer Academy in Pacelli Gym Thursday.
Lyle-Pacelli’s Noah Jiskra cuts through a pair of Schaeffer Academy defenders during the first half Thursday night at Pacelli. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
The Athletics (3-6 overall, 3-5 SEC) used a 6-0 spurt that was capped by a Jordan Hart steal and lay-up to tie the game up at 49-49 with 6:40 left, but the Lions (1-8 overall, 1-4 SEC) hit two straight 3s and converted a steal for a lay-up to go back up 57-49 in just a minute. Schaeffer made 11 3-pointers in the game.
“We probably should’ve came out of our zone earlier, but we were in some foul trouble,” LP head coach Dean DeBoer said. “Man to man defense isn’t something that we do this well and it’s something this group hasn’t been taught. It’s hard to play that way if you haven’t played it before varsity.”
The Lions hit four straight 3s to take a 14-4 lead to open the game, but LP scored nine straight points to get within 14-13 with 12 minutes left in the first half. LP didn’t score for seven minutes from that point, but it closed the first half on a 12-1 run to take a 25-21 advantage to the break.
“We did a good job of answering a couple of their runs, but we have to do a better job of closing games,” DeBoer said. “It’s kind of the story of our year. We do look really good at times and we look like a confident basketball teams. At other times we settle for too many jump shots and we don’t make them.”
Hart finished with 27 points, nine rebounds, four assists and five steals for LP and Braden Kocer added 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals.
“When you play as many minutes as Jordan and Braden do, it’s hard to for them to finish the game but it’s hard to take them off the floor,” DeBoer said. “Our lack of depth hurts us at times.”
LP forced 22 turnovers in the loss, but it also committed 22 of its own turnovers.
SA 21 55 — 76
LP 25 38 — 63
LP scoring: Jordan Hart, 27; Braden Kocer, 14; Noah Jiskra, 9; Brennen Ruis, 9; Jordan Cotter, 2; Matt Kasel, 2; free throws: 56 percent (10-for-18); rebounds: 34 (Hart, 9; Cotter, 9); turnovers: 22
Lyle-Pacelli’s Brennen Ruis gets a shot inside during the first half against Schaeffer Academy Thursday night at Pacelli. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
