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LaBrae finds a way to outlast Liberty in OT thriller
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LaBrae’s Grant Sprague and Liberty’s Leslie Carter dive to the floor as they fight for possession of the ball during second half of their Division III sectional semifinal Tuesday at LaBrae High School in Leavittsburg. The Vikings edged the Leopards, 83-80, to advance to the sectional final Friday against Berkshire.
LaBrae finds a way to outlast Liberty in OT thriller
LEAVITTSBURG
Liberty basketball coach Dan Bubon wiped his forehead, still digesting his team’s 83-80 overtime loss at LaBrae in the opening round of the Division III tournament, as he did some reflecting.
“I could write a book on this season,” Bubon said. “No one would believe it if I told them.”
The last chapter served as one heck of a finale, as an hour-and-a-half sprint turned in to a marathon game.
The Leopards (5-18) fought tooth and nail, as their star guard Lynn Bowden somehow eluded second-half foul trouble, to convert a game-tying layup in the closing seconds of regulation. Yet it was the Vikings (13-10) who hit just enough free throws to eke out a win and advance.
“It’s not going to get any easier,” said LaBrae guard Justin Jenkins, who missed two pivotal free throws at the end of regulation that allowed Bowden to force overtime.
“We just have to get better from here.”
Jenkins and the Vikings found a way despite going 13-of-21 from the foul line in the fourth quarter and overtime. Mike Eakins was the star of the show with a game-high 26 points, on 8-of-10 shooting, and was 10-of-11 at the line.
The sophomore made his first six shots of the game.
“Mikey did a great job,” said Vikings head coach Chad Kiser. “He’s had big games all year. He’s just a great guard. He hit some big shots all night long.”
LaBrae built a double-digit lead in the third quarter while Bowden was on the bench with four fouls. The Vikings started to attack offensively and turn defense into offense in transition. Bubon waited until the fourth to send his star back out there, which in retrospect he felt might have been too long.
But Bowden made up the deficit quickly by attacking the basket despite drawing extra attention.
“I mean Lynn is such a good athlete that he takes two,” Kiser said. “We said before the game we’re going to play two on Lynn and three against their other four.
“[Bubon] had a good game plan. He was able to stretch the zone and they were shooting the ball well.”
Kiser alluded to the difficulties guarding Bowden, who finished with 17 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, even with two defenders keying on him.
“He is the single best athlete that we’ve ever had to guard in the 15 years that I’ve been here,” he said. “I’ve seen some other kids that’ve been Division I kids. He is the quickest kid off the dribble and on top of that he can elevate right over top of you.”
Picking up most of the scoring for the Leopards was guard Leslie Carter. The senior scored 23 points and was 4-of-7 from behind the arc. Liberty was 9-of-18 as a team from the 3-point line.
“Best game he’s played,” Bubon said of his senior guard. “That was tremendous. Couldn’t be more proud of him for going out like that.”
Carter is the only player not retuning next year for the Leopards. Bubon started two freshmen and two sophomores on Tuesday and already has an eye on the future.
These two teams play together in the All-American Blue Division and are very familiar with one another. Kiser can already feel future headaches.
“I’m hoping he declares early,” he joked of Bowden.