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Inside game lifts Lakeview over Niles
By Steve Ruman
NILES
Friday’s Northeast 8 game between Niles and visiting Lakeview featured plenty of scoring from beyond the arc. The two teams combined to convert on 21 3-pointers, including eight by Niles senior sharpshooter Cyler Kane-Johnson.
However, it was the inside play of Lakeview senior Jeff Remmick which spelled the difference in a Bulldogs’ 66-59 win over the Red Dragons.
Remmick scored a team-high 27 points — all in the paint — to help lift Lakeview’s record to 14-3 (8-2). Senior A.J. McClellan added 15 points on five 3-pointers. Senior Daniel Evans chipped in with 12 points.
Kane-Johnson led all scorers with 30 points. Niles also received a 16-point night from Corbin Foy.
“My teammates saw me in the post down low and got me the ball,” Remmick said of his performance. “I had a lot of mismatches because not many [Niles] players matched up to my size. I just tried to use my hands, mix things up and find a way to get the ball to the hoop.
“It was a good night all the way around for us against a really good opponent.”
Remmick scored 13 points in a pivotal second quarter in which Lakeview turned a six-point deficit into a two-point halftime lead which it would never surrender.
Niles led 11-8 after one period of play, and took a 14-8 advantage in the early stages of the second quarter on a Kane-Johnson 3-pointer. But the Bulldogs answered with a 9-0 run — including seven straight from Remmick — to go up by three.
“You know, our defense was actually doing a good job, but when [Kane-Johnson] pulls up and hits 35-foot jump shots, what can you do?” said Lakeview coach Ryan Fitch.
“That was a back-and-forth first half against a really good, a well-coached opponent. We knew this game was going to be altogether different than when we played in December.”
Earlier this season, Lakeview defeated Niles 68-41.
“I thought we did a nice job offensively, we were patient and we worked hard to get the ball down low to (Remmick) against a smaller defense,” Fitch said.
Lakeview scored the first 10 points out of the break to build a 41-29 advantage midway through the third quarter. Niles eventually closed its gap to four at 63-59, but Lakeview was able to put the game away at the free throw line.
“My kids leave it on the floor every night, I’m happy with the way we played against a really good team,” said Niles coach Doug Foster.
“It’s tough going against a bigger team like Lakeview when our biggest guy is 5-foot-11, but it is what it is and we have to fight to get better.”
Lakeview held a 32-18 advantage in rebounds.
The Bulldogs, who won the Boardman district a year ago, are looking to return to the regionals this March with a team that features five senior starters.
“That’s certainly our goal, we’ve talked about it since the preseason,” Fitch said. “The thing is, you have one good year and the bull’s-eye is on your back and everyone is gunning for you.”