Loaded Poland lineup too much for Lakeview

Nick Fatimus and Darius Patton combined for 37 points in the opening win.

By JIM FLICK

Vindicator correspondent

CORTLAND — Starting in the opening minutes, the Poland High boys basketball team dominated every aspect of Tuesday’s game, a 98-39 defeat of Lakeview.

Nick Fatimus led Poland (1-0) with 19 points while Darius Patton scored 18 points at Lakeview High. David Baker added 12 points for Poland and Luke Wollett contributed 10.

But the visiting team spread the ball around — 14 players netted points for Poland.

No matter who was shooting, the visiting team shot well. Poland connected on 39 of 62 shots (63 percent). Those totals include Poland’s attempts at three-point shots. The visitors sank 13 of 25 long-range attempts.

“The kids came out excited tonight,” Poland coach Ken Grisdal said. “Lakeview has a very young team and everything our team does is based on our creating difficulties through tough defense. And that’s what we did.”

While Poland’s offense was efficient, its defense for even more effective, forcing turnovers, limiting Lakeview’s shots. The home team sank only 15 of 39 shots from the field (38 percent).

Zach McDivitt led Lakeview (0-2) in scoring with nine points.

“We want to shoot a lot,” said Grisdale of his team’s goal is to take 80 shots per game.

The Poland coach added that because of the fast-paced game his team plays, he plans to get as many players as possible into each game to keep up the quick pace.

“I call my second group the killer bees,” Grisdale said.

Grisdale said he’s been looking forward to this year’s varsity squad for a long time and expects have an outstanding season.

“We knew when this group was in junior high they were special,” Grisdale said. “This year’s varsity squad is unselfish.”

Baker said, “The coach talks to us before every game about being unselfish. We take that to heart. We all want to pass the ball and be unselfish.”

The Poland team “is on a different level than we are,” Lakeview coach George Lanterman said. “They’re a veteran team.”

Poland’s veterans gave the team a fast start.

After controlling the opening jump ball and scoring a basket, Poland’s high-pressure defense didn’t let Lakeview past the half-court stripe in their first four possessions.

On their fifth possession, Lakeview finally got the ball to its end of the floor — but Poland stole the ball before Lakeview could get off a shot.

Poland led 13-0 before Lakeview scored when Justin Misterka connected on a long jumper.

The defensive pressure continued. After Patton stole and ball on an in-bounds player and scored an easy lay-up, Poland led 25-2.

Poland’s defense had its best quarter in the third period when it limited Lakeview to five points, all scored by sophomore Austin Haines.

As Poland’s reserves took the field in the fourth quarter, Lakeview had its best quarter, scoring 14 points. But the home team was still outscored in the quarter, as Poland scored 16 points in the game’s final stanza.

With the scoreboard nearing triple digits, Poland played a stall, letting the clock run out without running the score up to the 100-point mark.