In a battle of sectional foes, Lawrence North rode the back of a huge third quarter by senior Ra Kpedi and an aggressive defense to a double-digit win over Cathedral.

 

It looked as though the game would wind up in the 80s as each team came out blazing from the field. James Franklin and Jarron Coleman buried threes for Cathedral to start the game, but junior point guard Antwaan Cushingberry responded for Lawrence North with a couple of transition baskets. THhe score was 10-10 at the midway point of the first quarter before each team settled in on defense. Turnovers and missed layups would begin to occur, a theme for how the rest of the night would play out.

 

 

The Irish would make a small run in the second quarter, buoyed by a huge block from 5'10 sophomore guard James Franklin which led to a Jarron Coleman dunk over a Lawrence North defender. Their lead would stretch to six, at 24-18, before the Wildcats would come back to close within a bucket as the teams entered the locker room.

 

 

As the third quarter began, turnovers would again be the story as each side would struggle to get a hold on the game. A Tra Landers finger roll in the lane would give Cathedral a 34-31 advantage and prompt LN head coach Jack Keefer to burn a timeout. Whatever was said in that huddle seemed to take hold with his team as they would turn up the heat defensively. The result would be a 13-0 run over the rest of the third quarter. A key in that run was the play of 6'9 senior post Ra Kpedi. Kpedi owned the glass defensively, limiting Cathedral to one shot each time down the floor and repeatedly altering Irish shots near the rim. On the offensive end, he scored eight of his teams' 17 third quarter points. Most of those came on two-handed dunks after nice passes from the LN backcourt. The Wildcats emerged from the third with a ten point lead and firm control of the game.

 

 

Cathedral would attempt to make a comeback, as Jarron Coleman hit a pair of threes in the fourth, but each time Lawrence North would respond by converting at the free throw line as junior Antwaan Cushingberry sealed the game from the stripe.

 

 

 

Cathedral 14 15 5 16 - 50
Lawrence North 12 15 17 20 - 64

Cathedral: Jarron Coleman 22pts (9/25 FGs, 4/10 3Ps), 5rbs, 5stl; James Franklin 10pts (4/12 FGs, 2/7 3Ps), 7rbs; Tra Landers 10pts (3/7 FGs), 2 stl; Hunter Jackson 3pts (1/7 FGs); Jack Meyers 3pts; Danny Goggans 2pts

Lawrence North: Kevin Easley 18pts (8/18 FGs, 2/4 3Ps), 9rbs, 3blk; Ra Kpedi 16pts (7/9 FGs), 16 rbs; Antwaan Cushingberry 13pts; Mike Saunders 7pts (3/7 FGs), 2stl; Dalen Davis 5pts; Jared Hankins 3pts; Dexter Shouse 2pts