(Shamar Avance was clutch for Lawrence North)

 

 

For a Saturday matinee, Jeffersonville traveled north on I-65 to face Lawrence North. The Red Devils entered the game 6-5 but yet to get over the hump against a good team. Fresh off a win over Center Grove last night, the Wildcats looked to re-establish itself as the state's top team.

 

From the start, Lawrence North’s height advantage paid dividends. On the second possession, Donaven McCulley grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back. McCulley cleaned up around the basket to push the Wildcats to an early 13-8 lead.

 

Like most of the game, Jeffersonville stayed in the game thanks to its three-point shooting. In the first quarter, four of Jeff’s five field goals were three-pointers, and three of them came from Kobe Stoudemire.

 

After Kaden Beatty ended the first with an LN three, Will Lovings-Watts opened the second with an and-1. The junior scored seven points in the second period for Jeff but picked up two fouls. Andrew Grantz subbed Lovings-Watts in for offense and out for defense whenever he could, and it worked out well.

 

For Lawrence North, CJ Gunn scored eight of the Wildcats’ 13 points in the frame. He buried a three and scored off the dribble for an and-1 in the stanza.

 

DJ Hughes, McCulley, and Gunn dominated the boards. Late in the first half, Hughes had more rebounds than the entire Jeffersonville team. In the first half, the Red Devils were lucky to get their hands on a missed shot on either end.

 

Leading by six at the half, Lawrence North extended its lead to 11 as Shamar Avance made a three, and McCulley scored off a Gunn feed. Once again, Jeffersonville bounced back via the three. This time, it was Brandon Rayzer-Moore as the senior connected on consecutive possessions. Rayzer-Moore started slowly but turned in an excellent second half.

 

After three quarters, Lawrence North led by six. Jeffersonville erased that deficit in a hurry with a score from Lovings-Watts and another three from Stoudemire. Seconds later, Jaylen Fairman picked the pocket of Avance and scored in transition to tie the game. After an empty Lawrence North possession, Rayzer-Moore scored in the lane to give the Red Devils their first lead.

 

Trailing for the first time, Avance put LN back in front with a three-pointer. On the next possession, Avance scored again to give the Wildcats a three-point lead.

 

Rayzer-Moore scored for Jeff before LN milked more than a minute off the clock with a one-point lead. Avance missed the front end of the bonus, but he made up for it with a steal and score with 40 seconds left. Stoudemire missed a three for Jeff, and Hughes threw down a dunk to effectively end the game.

 

Lawrence North walked away with the 55-50 win.

 

Avance led LN with 20 points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals; Hughes added 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks; Gunn recorded 10 points and six rebounds; McCulley finished with nine points and five rebounds; Kaden Beatty contributed three points and four assists.

 

Rayzer-Moore led Jeff with 15 points; Lovings-Watts finished with 12 points; Stoudemire added 12 points and four assists; Jaylen Fairman recorded four points, seven assists, four steals, and three rebounds.