(CJ Gunn scored 17 in the win)

 

In a contest of top 4A teams, Lawrence North proved to be the comeback kids once again.

 

Crispus Attucks set the tone early on by scoring the games' first 13 points, forcing Lawrence North boss Jack Keefer to call a timeout at the 2:37 mark of the first quarter. The Wildcats were their own worst enemy, committing five turnovers in that stretch and missing their first seven field-goal attempts. Shamar Avance would finally put them on the board with a driving floater in the lane following the timeout.

 

An 11-point Attucks advantage after the first period would be cut to six following a Shamar Avance three from the corner, but Isaiah Stafford would silence that with a three of his own. Defense was the calling card for the Tigers in the first half as they forced seven Lawrence North turnovers and held the Wildcats to just 7/26 shooting from the field. Stafford would pace all scorers in the first half with 11 points as Attucks would enjoy a 14-point lead heading into the locker room.

 

Lawrence North flipped the tables on Attucks with a 9-0 run to start the second half, the first six of which came in the lane via senior point guard Shamar Avance. Avance and CJ Gunn would be the catalysts for LN in the third, putting pressure on the Tiger defense in transition. A Gunn three would get the deficit to a single point at 42-41, then a Gunn drive and dish to a wide-open Donaven McCulley for a layup would put the Wildcats in front by a point with just over 30 seconds left to go in the third.

 

The teams both endured scoring droughts to being the fourth quarter. Shamar Avance was able to work his way to the free-throw line and connect on three of four foul shots, while Isaiah Stafford hit a pair that would bring Attucks to within a single point with 3:44 left in the game. After each team traded trips to the free-throw line, an Isaiah Stafford pull up three in transition would bring the Tigers to within two at 58-56 with just over two and a half minutes remaining.

 

Attucks' undoing would come with 1:28 left. After fouling Donaven McCulley at the rim, Donavon Barnett was whistled for a technical foul after the play then picked up another technical after voicing his frustration. Shamar Avance hit all four technical foul shots to double the Wildcat lead from four to eight. It was academic from that point on, as Lawrence North outscored Crispus Attucks 45-20 in the second half to come away with a 67-56 victory.

 

Lawrence North    7  15  25  20  -  67

Crispus Attucks  18  18  10  10  -  56

 

Lawrence North: Shamar Avance 27 points (9/20 FGs, 1/5 3Ps, 8/10 FTs), 4 rebs; CJ Gunn 17 points (6/14 FGs, 2/4 3Ps, 3/4 FTs), 11 rebs, 2 asts; Donaven McCulley 11 points (2/2 FGs, 7/9 FTs), 10 rebs, 3 asts; McCoyion Brown 7 points (2/5 FGs, 1/2 3Ps, 2/2 FTs), 2 rebs; DJ Hughes 4 points (1/5 FGs, 2/4 FTs), 5 rebs, 2 stls; Kaden Beatty 1 point (1/2 FTs), 5 rebs, 2 asts

 

Crispus Attucks: Isaiah Stafford 25 points (9/20 FGs, 2/8 3Ps, 5/8 FTs), 3 rebs, 2 asts, 4 stls; Donavon Barnett 8 points (3/7 FGs, 2/3 3Ps), 3 rebs, 3 asts; Jalen Hooks 8 points (3/6 FGs, 1/1 3Ps, 1/7 FTs), 8 rebs; James Smith 7 points (3/12 FGs, 1/4 3Ps), 2 rebs; Jaylen Carson 5 points (2/5 FGs, 1/2 3Ps), 6 rebs; Kevin Mimms 3 points