(CJ Gunn)

 

In a heavyweight match-up, No. 4 Lawrence North dominated the glass to overpower No. 3 Cathedral, 75-63.

 

From the tip, Lawrence North controlled the offensive boards. On the opening possession, Butler signee DJ Hughes grabbed Shamar Avance’s missed shot. Hughes was called for an offensive foul, but it set the tone that the Wildcats were going to crash the boards as hard as possible.

 

Early on, Cathedral’s outside shooting was the story. The Fighting Irish made three-pointers on three of their first five possessions. On the two possessions without a three, Cathedral turned the ball over. That was the other story of the first half. LN was forcing Cathedral into a high rate of turnovers.

 

After Cathedral jumped out to a 9-2 lead, Lawrence North’s attacking mindset started to pay dividends. The Wildcats used a balanced offense to take an 11-9 lead. Jake Davis ended the quarter with a bucket for Cathedral to tie the game.

 

Vincent Brady opened the second quarter with a free throw then a steal and dunk to put the Fighting Irish up 14-11.

 

From there, CJ Gunn took over. The Lawrence North junior scored eight of the next ten Lawrence North points to swing the advantage back to the Wildcats. He added another bucket to score ten in the frame and 13 points in the half.

 

Lawrence North’s first-half lead reached seven before Jaron Tibbs and Xavier Booker scored consecutive buckets.

 

Up five at the break, Gunn went right back to work for Lawrence North. He hit a 12-foot shot from the baseline on LN’s first possession. His mid-range jumper was locked in all game. Gunn scored eight points in the third to help the Wildcats stretch its lead to 11 points.

 

Kaden Beatty played big for Lawrence North. The lefty senior made Lawrence North’s only two three-pointers in the game. He also provided fantastic defense throughout the game.

 

In the fourth, Tibbs and Comer tried to mount a Cathedral comeback. With four minutes left, Tibbs made a three. After a timeout, Comer forced a turnover then made two free throws to make it a five-point game. After Beatty made two free throws on the other end, Tibbs scored off his own miss to make it a five-point game again. That was the last time it was a two-possession game.

 

Shamar Avance started slowly but ended the game strong. He lived at the free-throw line in the fourth. By the end, he tallied 20 points, four assists, and four rebounds.

 

Comer continued to attack, but Gunn capped the game with two monstrous dunks late in the game. He finished with 26 points, five rebounds, and four steals in Lawrence North’s 75-63 win. It was a fantastic all-around effort from Gunn.

 

Beatty finished with 11 points, and Hughes added seven points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. McCulley grabbed 13 rebounds to go with six points.

 

Comer led Cathedral with 17 points and four assists. Brady ended his high school career with a 14-point effort. Davis added 11, and Tibbs scored ten.

 

On Friday, Lawrence North plays the Lawrence Centra/Warren Central winner at Tech.