Boys Basketball: #11 SG Edges #10 L/P in Showdown

Visiting state-ranked #11 in A Spring Grove eased past #10 Lyle/Pacelli, 46-40 – the fourth win of the week for the Lions, who had overwhelmed LeRoy-Ostrander twice in two days. First was a 81-27 home win one night before a 93-24 road runaway. Two nights later, Elijah Solum scored his 1,000th career point as SG hosted and buried Glenville-Emmons 72-31. The next evening was the state-ranked showdown in which the Athletics (14-1, 17-3) rallied from a stunningly slow start with a salvo of three-pointers, but ultimately were undone by turnovers. The Lions improved to 17-1 (14-0 SEC), prevailing with superior ball-handling, steals, and just enough free throws. The outcome was much in doubt until Lion junior Jacob Olerud sank both ends of a pressure-packed 1-and-1 free throw trip with 16 seconds remaining. That gave the Lions a four-point lead, and then Olerud created the final six-point margin with a mid-court steal and breakaway lay-up. SG had only eight turnovers, while L/P lost possession 21 times, including 15 Lion steals. That allowed the Lions to survive season-low 37% shooting. L/P shot only 38% but had twice as many threes with eight treys to four for SG. With L/P not scoring for the first six minutes and 46 seconds, the Lions notched the first 14 points, but the Athletics scored the next nine with three straight triples by Jake Truckenmiller. All five L/P field goals in the first half were treys. The A’s finished with eight threes, eight twos, but no free throws. The Lions hit 4 of 9 charity shots on the way to 4-point lead with 16 seconds remaining. SG had the only six transition points in a game decided by six points. L/P never led, but was back within four points (19-15) at halftime, finally caught up at 32-32, and again at 34-34 with 7:02 to play. The Lions led for the final six minutes, but the Athletics stayed close. Buay Koak scored their last eight points. With only 21 seconds to play, his potential score-tying shot slipped off the rim, and L/P was forced to foul Olerud. SG scorers were Jaxon Strinmoen (11 pts), Caleb Griffin (10 pts), Olerud (9 pts), Tysen Grinde (7 pts), Elijah Solum (7 pts) and Ethan Crouch (2 pts). Solum had seven of the Lions’ 10 assists. Grinde had 11 of 24 Lion rebounds. For L/P, Truckenmiller scored 15 points (all treys) and Koak 11. The outcome should have little effect on the SEC standings, since both defending division champions have a stranglehold on their respective division races. SG has won 30 straight SEC games since falling to L/P two years ago. In each of SG’s three preceding games, the Lions had half-a-hundred by halftime; 50-11 versus L-O at home, 56-13 the next night at L-O, and 50-9 versus G-E. Each night, the Lions feasted on fast breaks and shot well from three-point land. At L-O, Grove shot a season-best 59% from the field along with a season-high 26 assists and season-bests with both four turnovers and five fouls. Strinmoen shot 22 for 28 (79%) from the field while scoring, in order 21, 17 and 8 points with 10 total assists and only one turnover. He had 7- and 8-rebound efforts against the Cardinals. Grinde scored 15, 20 and 13 points while grabbing 8 and then 6 rebounds versus L-O. He had 7 assists against G-E. Solum scored 7, 19 and 23 and totaled 15 assists with only 1 turnover. Griffin scored 11, 11 and 3, while Olerud tallied 7, 5 and 12. L-O was led by Camden Hungerholt (10 pts vs SG, 14 pts, 6 of 12 FGs at SG). He was the only Cardinal in double figures both games.