Fast start lifts Athletics

Published 10:10 pm Monday, February 21, 2011

Lyle/Pacelli sophomore Skylar Meyer goes up for a breakaway dunk after he came up with a steal in the first half of the Athletics' 69-47 win over Schaeffer Academy in Lyle Monday. -- Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

LYLE — Everything came together for the Lyle/Pacelli boys basketball team in a 69-47 win over Schaeffer Academy (0-16 overall, 0-16 SEC) in Lyle Monday.

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The Athletics came out with a high-energy style of basketball that saw them open on a 22-2 run Schaeffer never got closer than 14, while L/P led by as many as 36 in the second half.

“They’re finally learning that the first six minutes are going to make or break us,” L/P head coach Casey Anderson said. “We came out patient on offense and we were attacking the boards. It’s a simple game when you do those things and hopefully we’re starting to make the turn at the right time.”

Lyle/Pacelli senior Ryan Rust wins a rebounding battle with Schaeffer Academy's Jordan Whitcomb during L/P's 69-47 win in Lyle Monday. -- Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

It was the most lopsided win of the season for L/P (7-14 overall, 7-9 SEC) and it started early on when Ryan Rust scored eight points in the first few minutes of the game. Skylar Meyer added to the lead when he came up with a steal and breakaway jam to make it 39-18 with 2:20 left in the first half.

“We needed to come out strong and get up early because we’ve done good when we’ve done that. We’ve been coming out slow lately and it hasn’t helped us,” said Meyer, who finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks. “When we get rolling on offense, we get some easy lay-ups.”

Rust also gave L/P an offensive boost throughout the night as he finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and two steals.

“With Ryan playing the way he has been the last few games, it helps the whole team,” Anderson said. “It takes a lot of pressure off the other guys when he’s dominating the boards down low and in the paint.”

While Schaeffer is an inexperienced team with no juniors or seniors, L/P knew to target its talented big man Jordan Whitcomb and that strategy worked to perfection. Whitcomb picked up his third foul with 13 minutes left in the first half and he fouled out of the game early in the second half.

“The game plan was to get (Whitcomb) on the bench early,” Rust said. “We figured if we took him out of the game, they wouldn’t know what to do and that’s what happened.”

L/P, which has seven players that are sophomores or younger has improved throughout the season.

“The younger kids know what we’re doing now and what offense we’re running and we’ve gotten better on defense,” Meyer said.

Senior guard Colton Scherer had four points and four steals for L/P.

Schaeffer 21 26 — 47

L/P 45 24 — 69

L/P scoring: Ryan Rust, 24; Skylar Meyer, 19; Carter Guthmiller, 6; David Diang, 6; Colton Scherer, 4; Max Brennan, 4; Damian Haugen, 4; Michael Kline, 2; free throws: 69 percent (11-for-16); rebounds: 38 (Meyer, 12); turnovers: 20

Schaeffer scoring: Nathan Hanson, 30; Jordan Whitcomb, 8; Luke Harris, 6; Joshua Hanson, 4; free throws: 60 percent (9-for-15); rebounds: 18 (Harris, 6); turnovers: 20