CLAYTON — There was a little bit of drama — but just a little.
The Indian Lake boys tussled with Greenon for a quarter before pulling away and rolling to a 53-38 win in Division V basketball tournament play Friday night.
The Lakers were in action after a week off and had lost their final two regular season games.
They dueled with Greenon through most of the first period, taking a three-point lead in the closing seconds.
However, they then dominated the second quarter, connecting on three-pointers and free throws while the defense kept the Knights scoreless until their final possession. They boosted the lead to 20 points by the end of the third, and had a smooth ride to the finish line.
Indian Lake is now 15-8 on the season. They will take on Waynesville in a district semifinal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Waynesville defeated Greeneview 63-46 in the second game of Friday’s doubleheader.
Avery Pequignot had 20 points and Tyler Tidwell notched 14 for the Lakers.
“The first quarter was what I expected. We have a really young team, and Greeenon has a really young team,” said Lakers coach Zach Overturf. “We were trading punches back and forth.”
He noted that “the second quarter was more us. We locked in defensively. The third quarter we carried the momentum over, which was good. We could have finished better, but a win is a win.”
Greenon senior Grady Bowman had 20 points for the Knights, who end the year at 7-16.
Both teams broke out of the gate in good form. Indian Lake got a basket by Tidwell, plus threes by Cooper Hall and Pequignot. Greenon kept pace with two scores by Bowman and a trey from Teagan Henry.
Just past the halfway mark of the period, Hall hit from the corner to make it 11-7. Bowman countered with three straight scores to put Greeenon up by a deuce.
In the final minute, the Lakers defense forced a turnover, leading to a layup by Pequignot. With 10 seconds and counting, Hall nailed his third long-distance basket for a 16-13 edge.
A pair of scores by Brodey Reisinger about 90 seconds apart began to stretch the lead. Back to back 3-pointers then came from Tidwell and Pequignot. The latter was off an inbounds pass, with the shot going up before the Knights defender could close in.
The onslaught continued with a pair of foul shots and a three by Pequignot, then more foul shots by Tidwell and Reisinger.
Greenon avoided being blanked for the period when Bowman connected with 12 seconds left. The team trotted off with Indian Lake firmly in control at 34-16.
Tidwell laid one in after just over a minute had elapsed in the third. After a score by Cashton Triplett for the Knights, a scoop shot and a three from the top of the arc by Pequignot got the lead over 20. Triplett made a jumper near the midpoint for Greenon.
The rest of the scoring in the third all came at the free throw line. Colin Bendler made three of four for the Lakers, while Greenon sank four out of their six attempts. Indian Lake took a 44-24 advantage into the final frame.
Greenon shrank the gap slightly with an 8-2 burst in the fourth. Pequignot and Cooper Best traded scores. Tidwell then got a basket and two free throws before the reserves were sent in by both sides. A few more free throws accounted for the final margin of 15 points.
The winner of the game between the Lakers and Waynesville will face an opponent to be determined in the district final on Feb. 28.
“We try to simplify things this time of year defensively. Offensively, whatever we face we just try to execute. I thought they did a pretty nice job of that tonight,” said Overturf.
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Raiders fall to Alter
XENIA — The Benjamin Logan boys basketball team lost 68-27 to Archbishop Alter in the Division IV tournament on Friday.
Maddox Vermillion had 10 points for the Raiders. Peyton Vermillion scored six, Roman Maxwell five, Camden Spriggs four and Ethan Miller two.
Seniors playing their final game were Collin Powell, Miller, Davin Meyers, and Spriggs.
Benjamin Logan ends the season with a record of 3-20.