LYLE — Lyle/Pacelli came out with a sense of urgency and it’s starters were rewarded with a long rest in an 83-65 win over Cannon Valley Lutheran in Lyle Tuesday.

The Athletics (7-5 overall) came out full court pressing, which helped them get off to a strong start and allowed most of their starters to leave the game early in the second half with a 35-point lead intact.

“(The press) was something we took a look at for about three trips (the other) night because we never ever press.” L/P head coach Reid Olson said. “We wanted to do it tonight to get active and pick up the intensity. Will you see it again? I don’t know.”

That intensity was apparent when L/P guard Cody Meyer made a steal and finished with a devastating one-handed dunk over CVL’s Eric Morris five minutes into the game.

“I was just going up, I never saw him. It gets the energy going (to dunk),” Meyer said. “ I haven’t dunked in a game since freshman year.”

Meyer was fouled on the play, and he hit the free throw to trigger a 27-5 L/P run that would last over six minutes. Meyer finished that run with another two handed jam to put L/P up 39-12 with seven minutes left in the first half.

“We kind of had to set the tone,” said Meyer, who scored 20 points in the first half. “If we don’t get off to a good start, then we don’t start until the second half which is not good, because then it’s too late to comeback half the time.”

Olson played his starters for a short spurt in the second half, but then let his reserves finish off the contest.

“We don’t need to beat up on them by running our starters when we’re up 30 plus,” Olson said.

CVL (3-11 overall) pulled closer against the L/P reserves as the Athletics had 20 fouls in the second half.

“That foulathon for the last 10 minutes was the last thing we wanted, but it’s good to get everybody in the game,” Olson said.

Meyer said it was important to give the reserves some work and a chance for some lengthy playing spurts.

“We need to make our second string people work a little harder. They don’t have that experience so it’s good to get them out there,” he said.

The biggest part of the win was the intensity the Athletics played with, according to Olson.

“Mentally, we’ve been lost for awhile and I think we came in today prepared and we executed after doing some soul searching last night. Right away from the tip we wanted to attack,” Olson said.

The crowd got going in the first half when Weston DeBoer, a 5-foot, 4-inch reserve guard for L/P, went up and blocked a shot in the lane.

CVL 22 43 — 65

LP 49 34 — 83

LP scoring: Cody Meyer, 22; Justin Hutchinson, 14; Brady Stier, 12; Kyle Pereault, 8; Matt Buntje, 6; Ryan Rust, 6; Michael Lonergan, 5; Alex Brennan, 2; Colton Scherer, 2; Michael Hutchinson, 2; Michael Kline, 2; Carter Guthmiller, 2; free throws: 50 percent (5-for-10)

CVL scoring: Matt Saemrow, 19; Tyler Saemrow, 13; Bryan Lamont, 12; Nik Coon, 8; Eric Morris, 7 ; Mitchell Braun, 5; Logan Carver, 1; free throws: 60 percent (27-for-45)