Rivalry games bring out new and different tactics in order to get a win. Rivalry games with a trip to the Marion County semifinals raise those stakes even higher.

 

Lawrence North switched things up Wednesday evening to try and get an edge on their rival Lawrence Central and avenge a 17-point loss from earlier this season. It worked for a half before Lawrence Central figured out their plans and rode their junior duo of Nijel Pack and Dre Davis to victory.

 

Lawrence Central scored 72 points on their way to an impressive victory over their rivals back in December. Determined not to let that happen again, Lawrence North employ a four corners offense to spread out the Bear defense and control tempo. The plan worked as Tony Perkins was able to maneuver into the paint and score nine in the opening quarter while Lawrence Central was struggling to find their rhythm.

 

Jared Hankins also helped the Wildcat cause by hitting a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter in building a 10 point lead for LN. That lead would expand to 13 as Hankins continued his hot shooting from deep. A pair of steals and dunks in succession from Dre Davis and Wesley Jordan would help to stem the bleeding. Hankins would get the final word in the first half, as a step back shook a defender and allowed him to hit his fifth three-pointer on five attempts just before the horn, giving LN an eight-point lead at the break.

 

The Bears would respond in the third quarter, as their pressure defense would use the four corner offense employed by LN to their advantage. LC was able to force multiple five second calls and pin Wildcats against the sideline, forcing turnovers. Any offensive rhythm gained by the Wildcats was lost, as Jared Hankins could not keep up his hot shooting from before the halftime intermission. 

 

A 17-2 run to open the half gave the host Bears a five-point lead, and it would peak at eight with just under three minutes remaining. Tony Perkins, who scored nine in the first quarter, was shut out during the second and third periods by a focused Bear defense and finally got back on the board midway through the final period. Hankins, he of the 5/5 shooting from deep earlier, struggled to get clean looks and went 0/5 from behind the arc in the final 16 minutes.

 

A Nijel Pack steak and dunk off an inbounds pass with a minute left to put the margin at eight, but four quick Wildcat points on a floater and steal and layup cut that deficit to four with 20 seconds left. But Pack would hit two free throws to ice the game, and Lawrence Central would pick up their second win over their rivals this year to advance to Friday’s Marion County semis.

 

 

 

Lawrence North     17  15   2  16  -  50

Lawrence Central    7  17  10  21  -  55

 

Lawrence North: Jared Hankins 19 points (7/14 FGs, 5/10 3Ps); Tony Perkins 15 points (5/12 FGs, 1/4 3Ps, 4/5 FTs), 4 rebs, 2 stls, 2 blks; DJ Hughes 6 points (2/3 FGs, 2/2 FTs), 7 rebs; Shamar Avance 6 points (3/4 FGs); David Perkins 4 points

 

Lawrence Central: Nijel Pack 20 points (6/10 FGs, 2/4 3Ps, 8/10 FTs), 5 rebs, 3 asts, 2 stls; Dre Davis 13 points (5/13 FGs, 1/6 3Ps, 2/2 FTs), 5 rebs, 3 asts, 4 stls; Wesley Jordan 8 points (2/5 FGs, 4/6 FTs), 3 rebs, 3 stls, 2 blks; Jake LaRavia 6 points (3/11 FGs); Xavier DelReal 5 points; Greg Jenkins 1 point