Lamar Recruits Are Getting it done for their HS teams

[Guest mffl]

Here's an article about Mens BBall signees Tre Lynch and Michale Kyser:

Houston, (Friday) Texas Jamboree - The game featured seven out of 10 starters that had either signed or committed to play college basketball. Four more who took the court that will have opportunity to receive a college basketball scholarship. Lancaster and Bellaire are two of the top teams in the state regardless of class, so it isn't hard to understand why this game needed four extra minutes to decide a winner.

These two teams play a very similar style of game motoring up and down the court forcing their opponent to get back on defense to keep a game respectable. Lancaster's Tre Lynch was the difference in the game as he had a game high of 22 points to help the Tigers outlast the Cardinals in overtime.

The first half belonged to the Cardinals as they took an 11 point lead after the first quarter of play ended. Every thing the Cards threw up at the basket went in. They played a physical game down low and hit their open shots early. At the end of the first Bellaire had a 27-16 lead. In the beginning of the second, Bellaire went on a 5-0 run, but with 6:39 to go until break, the Lancaster Tigers Lynch started a 15-0 run off a three-pointer. The score heading into half was 36-32 Bellaire.

A minute into the third quarter, it was once again Lynch who drained a three off a Cards' turnover to move the Tigers within one (36-35) and looking to take their first lead of the game. Finally with 5:45 showing on the clock in the third, a steal by the Tigers led to a John Bohannon lay-up and the Tigers had their first lead of the game 39-38.

Lancaster kept adding to the score with free-throws and dunks to gain an eight point advantage off a 9-0 run (46-38). But the Cards' never panicking hitting a pair of free-throws and Sheldon McClellan converting on a three-pointer put Bellaire back in the game 46-43.

The teams battled the rest of the third looking for any miscues to take advantage of. Bellaire stayed patient and was able to finish the quarter down only one heading into the final quarter of regulation (51-50).

At the start of the fourth, Kene Anyigbo hit one-two free throws to tie the game at 51 with 7:41 on the clock. Then the Cardinals rolled off six more points after back-to-back Tiger turnovers and senior Sebastien Douglas made two lay-ups.

The lead crept up to as much as seven with 5:28 to go. Now it was time for the Tigers to tear into the Cards' lead after Bohannon shot two free-throws and Michale Kyser came up with an offensive rebound and an easy score to be down only three, 62-59. The very next play, Douglass was called for five seconds and the ball went back to Lancaster. With 4:15, another offensive board wound up in the hands of Kyser and he laid the ball back in to be down one and then Lynch hit a mid-range jumper to take the lead for the Tigers 63-62.

The Tigers managed to grab a five point lead (67-62) with 2:42, but then, Jamel Outler for Bellaire hit one free-throw and a lay-up to put his team back in reach of the Tigers (67-65), with 2:06. The score stayed that way after each team committed two turnovers a piece and with :45 ticks left, Douglass went into the lane on the offensive side and made a hook shot that went out of the reach of Bohannon and Kyser to tie the game at 67 and overtime was then needed.

In the extra four minutes, Anyigbo was the first to score for Bellaire giving them a quick 69-67 lead, but the Tigers followed with a score to tie at 69. Bellaire took its final lead of the game at 71-69 on a 17 footer by Tobi Oyedeji. Kyser then dropped in a 15 footer to tie the game and Lynch then hit a three with 1:21 remaining in OT to go up three, 74-71. Bellaire inched closer, 74-73 off a lay-up by McClelland, but three-out-four free-throws were then hit by Lancaster to go up by four with 7.3 seconds left. McClelland hit a three at the buzzer to finish the overtime, but it still left the Cardinals one point shy of the Tiger, 77-76.

Scoring

Lancaster
[b]
Lynch 22 points[/b]
J.J. Williams 21 points
[b]Kyser 14 points[/b]
Bohannon 10 points

Bellaire

Oyedeji 20 points
McClelland 18 points, five three-pointers
Anyigbo 13 points
Douglass 12 points

"Bellaire is a talented team,"said Lancaster head coach Ferrin Douglass. "I knew that they were good and the McClelland kid can shoot lights out. I knew that it was going to be rough and that we would have to play all four quarters with these guys. They are athletic and talented."

It was back and forth for most of the game and Douglass told his team to be patient. He also mentions the play of Kyser in the second half.

"It's all about who wants it. Bellaire is accustomed to winning and we had to work hard. [Michale] hit some big shots for us, he was in the right place at the right time to grab a few offensive rebounds and put the ball in for us.

Add the half, being down only four, Douglass told his Tiger squad that he felt like they might have a chance in the second half to make something happen.

"We got down by 10 in the first quarter then cut it to four. I always tell our team that the first three minutes if the second half is very important. We came out and played hard and [Tre] was key for us in winning this game. And we took the lead within those first three minutes."

"Hats off to Bellaire," added Douglass. "They are the most talented team in Houston. They have so many weapons and players that you have to come out with your best to compete with them."