Balanced Lakers
run away from Portagers
By DYLAN SAVELA
Manistee News Advocate Sports Writer
Published:
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Published:
Thursday, January 27, 2011 12:44 AM EST
BEAR LAKE — While sifting
through a pile of statistics after Bear Lake’s 88-45 West Michigan D
League win over Onekama Wednesday, Lakers coach Bryan Groenwald
wasn’t sure with what he was most impressed.
Certainly senior Weston Brooks’ triple-double, with 21 points, 12
blocks and 10 rebounds, jumps right off the page.
So too does the Lakers’ 31-of-42 showing from the charity stripe
during the physical cross-county matchup. Groenwald said his team
has put in a heavy dose of work at the line during practice, and was
glad to see the fruits of their labors.
“But it’s a team effort and these
guys do a great job of keeping all that in perspective. The way we do it
is, really, two guys are designed to score. They’ve got the green light.
But everyone else does a great job of playing a role. There’s no
animosity.
“It’s just awesome. I’m working with a great group of kids.”
The Lakers took a slim 15-10 lead into the second quarter, and with
full-court defensive pressure, turned the advantage to a 33-20 mark at
the break.
Bear Lake took advantage of Onekama foul trouble in the third, and
started the fourth up 58-31 en route to the comfortable win.
Alex Ringel also scored 21 for the Lakers along with four assists while
teammates Tyler Groenwald had 14 points with team-highs in assists
(eight) and steals (five), Stephen Verrett scored 14 with seven boards,
Christian Novak had nine points and 12 rebounds, Jacob Meszaros cashed
in on two triples for six points and Josh Metiva scored three.
The Portagers (1-8, 1-7 WMD) hung tight in the first quarter as Matt
Monroe single handily closed the frame with a 7-2 Onekama run en route
to his team-high 16 with three steals.
The Lakers (8-2, 6-2 WMD), however, took advantage of Portager miscues
in the backcourt while bringing the ball up against pressure. “When
we’re turning defense into offense, we’re at our finest,” Groenwald
said. “That’s what we’re all about.”
Said Onekama coach Jim Hunter:
“We turned the ball over way too much. In the second quarter, we were
maybe down seven, and there was a point we turned it over about seven
times in a row. All of a sudden, seven becomes 15 and they’ve got some
breathing room.”
The
Onekama junior varsity team topped
Bear Lake, 64-33. The Portagers’ Bryce Reckow scored a game-high 19
while Bear Lake’s Shane Peterson scored a team-high 10.
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However, Hunter was pleased with his
team’s offense-to-defense transition. “The thing that killed us at
our place (in a 74-50 season-opening loss to the Lakers) was the fast
breaks off of our misses. Tonight, I think they might have scored like
that once. I thought our kids did a better job at getting back on
defense, but with that being said, we continue to have the same problems
that we’ve had all year.
Bear Lake guard Tyler
Groenwald goes up for a shot during a win against Onekama on
Wednesday. (Dylan Savela/News Advocate)
“Woes continue to haunt us on the offensive end,” he added. “We just
have trouble putting the ball in the hole.
“Until we show a little more offensive firepower, it’s going to be tough
to hold teams defensively for five, six possessions before we can
score.”
Onekama’s Skyler Kimpel had a double-double with 11 points and 12
rebounds while Alex Welch scored six, Rease Heiler had five, Ryan Pienta
had two points with four assists, Kyle Acker and Nick Osborn scored two
apiece and Jared Miller scored a point to go with 10 rebounds.
Coming out of the break, the Lakers were able to extend their distance
by converting at the line. Four Portagers fouled out by game’s end.
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