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LaBrae impressive in opener
By Jim Flick
LEAVITTSBURG
From the opening minutes of Friday night’s game, the LaBrae High boys basketball team dominated Hubbard, earning a 73-34 victory.
Senior guard Matt Szorady started the route. In the Vikings’ first possession, he sank a 3-point shot.
In Hubbard’s first possession, Szorady struck again, stealing the ball and dribbling the length of the court to put in a layup to give LaBrae a 5-0 lead.
When the game was over, Szorady was the high scorer with 17 points, including three 3-pointers.
In LaBrae’s next possession, senior Carrington Herron put in a layup to give the Vikings a 7-0 lead. Herron finished the night with nine points.
After Hubbard’s Angelo Ryan swished a 3-pointer for the Eagles’ first point of the night, Herron struck again, grabbing a rebound and putting in a short jumper to put LaBrae in front 10-3.
Sophomore Peyton Aldridge then stole the ball and slammed home a dunk to boost LaBrae’s lead to 12-3. Aldridge finished the night with 13 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots.
LaBrae led 15-7 at the end of the first quarter, and Hubbard never recovered.
In fact, the Vikings poured it on, scoring 18 points in the second quarter, 19 points in the third and 21 in the fourth quarter.
Hubbard cut the lead to six points, 20-14 in the second quarter, but LaBrae scored nine unanswered points to end the first half with a 33-17 lead.
In the second half, LaBrae out-scored Hubbard 40-17.
Eleven players put points on board for LaBrae, and contributed to a defense that smothered the Eagles.
“Top to bottom, it was a pretty good performance,” said LaBrae coach Chad Kiser. “I’m pleased. It’s tough not to be pleased, opening up the season like that.”
Defense was the key to the win, Kiser added.
“Defense leads our offense, and our goal was to keep [Hubbard] under double digits each quarter,” he said.
The Vikings didn’t quite attain that goal. Hubbard scored 10 points in the second quarter, but only eight in the third quarter and nine in the fourth quarter.
“We take pride in our defense,” Kiser said.
Szorady “is a clutch player,” Kiser said, pointing out that this is the senior guard’s fourth season as the team’s starting point guard.
Hubbard coach Rick Fox said, “I’m happy with the effort we gave in the first half.
“I’m proud of these guys. We’ve got to clean it up. We got 19 more games and the tournament. We’ll be ready,” Fox added.