Strong second half carries Lebo boys to LCL title
Barker's scores 22 in win
By Brandon Schneeberger
Monday, January 30, 2012
They may not have played like a championship team until the second half, but the Lebo Wolves came through defensively Saturday evening at White Auditorium to win the Lyon County League Tournament.
The Wolves struggled a bit defensively stopping the Madison Bulldogs but held their opponent to just 16 second-half points, securing a 67-51 victory.
“It was just one of those nights where we couldn’t get things going the first half,” said Lebo coach Kurt Bangle.
“The guys worked hard in the second half and started fixing the problems that we had. We started looking like the team that showed up last night.”
Both teams came out firing in the first quarter. Lebo managed to score 18 to Madison’s 21. Both Trevor White of Lebo and Tanner Bybee of Madison had eight points in the quarter.
Madison extended its lead to six points after going on a 7-2 run to end the half up 35-29. Bangle credited being down at half to his team’s inability to play with toughness on defense.
“We couldn’t find a stop,” Bangle said. “We weren’t getting through screens. We weren’t being tough. That’s one of the things that I write up on the board every game is toughness. If you can’t play defense with that, you can’t play.”
It took less than three minutes for the Wolves to erase their halftime deficit. Four straight points from Barker followed by a 3-pointer from White tied the game at 38. Later, an Austin Holmes layup in transition gave Lebo its first lead of the ballgame.
“At halftime coach Bangle just pounded it into our heads that we needed to rebound better, play defense better and then everything else would come along like it needed to, and it did,” Barker said.
The Wolves would extend the lead to six points entering the fourth quarter, a quarter in which they would continue to dominate. The Wolves opened up an 8-2 run to push its lead into double figures, and before long it was at 16.
The Wolves outscored the Bulldogs 38-16 in the second half thanks in large part to defensive intensity.
“We got away from what we wanted to do on offense,” Madison coach Lance Tally said. “We started missing shots and we weren’t getting offensive rebounds like we needed to be. But give Lebo credit they turned up the defense on us, and they’re a good team. They played really well.”
Once again for Lebo, Barker and White carried their team offensively. Barker had a game-high 22 points while White had 21. Schankie had 20 points and Bybee 10 for Madison.
After its performance this week, Bangle believes his team is starting to hit its stride.
“We’re really starting to show what we can do, and what we’re capable of,” Bangle said. “We’ve got tremendous athletes, and we just haven’t played that way for awhile. What’s been great is they’re really picking up the defensive side. I’ve been so proud of the last two nights. That’s what wins championships.”
Saturday at White Auditorium
Lebo 18 11 19 19 — 67
Madison 21 14 7 9 — 51
LEBO: A. Holmes 4, Robke 9, Barker 22, White 21, Weiss 6, Davies 2, G. Holmes 2, Walford 1.
MAD: Schankie 20, Williams 9, Kile 7, Bybee 10, Smith 1, Derryberry 2, West 2.