Tigers remain perfect in TAC

Newton Falls scored all 13 points in overtime to beat Lakeview, 54-41.

By DOUG CHAPIN

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

CORTLAND — The Newton Falls High basketball team scored the last five points of regulation and all 13 points in overtime for a 54-41 victory Friday over Lakeview.

The win puts the Tigers two games ahead of the pack in the Trumbull Athletic Conference boys basketball race.

The Tigers (9-3, 6-0 TAC) shut out the Bulldogs (7-5, 4-2 TAC) over the final 3:18 of the fourth quarter and all four minutes of overtime.

“The kids really buckled down on defense, we had smart possessions on offense and we rebounded the ball,” Falls coach Roy Sembach said. “Granted, Lakeview missed some shots but you have to have that in order to make a run like that.”

Seniors Nik Kaley and Jae Leeworthy scored all but two of the Tigers’ points in the extra session. Kaley scored inside on the first possession of OT, then rebounded the ball on the other end after Robert Franks’ 3-point attempt rimmed out.

Leeworthy then nailed a 3-pointer on an assist from center Marcus Fowler, making it 46-41 with 2:37 remaining.

Lakeview had tough luck again on its next possession. Franks rebounded a miss and his put-back rimmed around and fell off. Then Greg McCumber did the same thing as his put-back rolled around the rim and off. The Bulldogs retained possession and got off two more missed shots before Leeworthy rebounded.

Kaley then scored again — Fowler again had the assist — to make the score 48-41 with 1:29 remaining. Once Lakeview had to foul, the Tigers clinched the win at the foul line.

“Kaley and Leeworthy have kind of been our unsung heroes all year because a lot of teams concentrate on our guards and Marcus, who can dominate inside,” Sembach said. “They are good players and they are able to do whatever we need. If we need points, they can score. If we need defense, they defend. If we need rebounds, they get them.

“The last part of the game, what I remember seeing is Kaley getting several big rebounds and Leeworthy hitting several big shots. Those two came up very clutch at crunch time and I couldn’t be prouder of them and the whole team.”

Lakeview coach George Lanterman also was proud of his team.

“We could not have defended them any better for four quarters,” he said. “They’ve been averaging over 60 points per game and we held them to 41. Offensively, the shots just didn’t fall tonight, for whatever reason. That’s just basketball.”

Junior guard Todd Medallis led Falls in scoring with 16 points. Leeworthy finished with 13 and Kaley had 10 to go with seven rebounds. Fowler had seven points, eight rebounds and four assists.

For Lakeview, senior guard Jon Kittle scored 10 points and McCumber contributed nine points and seven rebounds.

The Bulldogs led 12-7 after one quarter and Falls held a 21-20 lead at the half. Lakeview opened a 31-23 advantage midway through the third period and the quarter ended with the count 33-28.

The game was tied a 36 before a McCumber bucket and a 3-pointer by Kittle made it 41-36 with 3:18 to play.

Two free throws by Medallis and a three-point play by Fowler at the 1:56 mark sent the game to overtime.

“So far in our TAC games we’ve been playing downhill; we would get a lead early and lead the whole game,” Sembach said. “This is the first TAC game in which we’ve been behind late in the game. It was interesting to see how we would respond playing from behind. I was very pleased with the way we maintained our poise.”

Despite losing the late lead, Lanterman said the Bulldogs were confident heading into overtime.

“We felt good, but we knew the first minute of overtime would be key,” he said.