By By TOM NYHUIS / Niles Daily Star
ST. JOSEPH - Buchanan's new year didn't start out on a very good note Tuesday night at the Lake Michigan Catholic gym. The Bucks dropped a non-league game to the Lakers 59-54 to begin play in 2006.
The difference in the game, according to Buchanan coach Reid McBeth, came from the free throw line. McBeth pointed out that the Lakers had 30 trips to the charity stripe while his Bucks only made 10.
Twenty of the Lakers tosses came in the fourth quarter where they made 10. They finished making only 13 for the game.
LMC's hot hand came from Zachary Brookes, who sank five treys in the game, and finished with a game high 24 points.
Buchanan took an early lead, 8-3, but the Lakers finished the first quarter with a 15-14 after Brookes hit two of his 3-point buckets.
Jordan Lee, seeing his first game action of the season, pulled the Bucks to the one point deficit hitting three free throws with less then 10 seconds in the quarter. Lee finished the game with a team high 18 points.
Trailing 19-16 with just under five minutes to play in the first half, the Bucks went on a 10-0 run on buckets by Jeff Kyles, Lee, Taylor Johnson and a pair by Marquis Hall to take a 26-19 lead at the break.
Buchanan was unable to take advantage of the lead and could only manage two points in the first six minutes of the third period. Meanwhile the Lakers were building a 35-28 lead.
A Terrill Tucker basket followed with Lee connecting on a pair of baskets along with a charity toss the Bucks tied the score with just over a minute to play in the quarter at 35.
The Lakers had an opportunity to open the game up heading towards the final stanza after McBeth picked up a technical with 45 seconds to go in the third quarter. Brookes hit one of two free throws. But the Lakers turned the ball over and Kyles was fouled taking the ball to the hole. Kyles went to the line where he hit one of two.
On the inbounds play Kyles came away with a steal and put the Bucks up 38-36 with 20 seconds remaining. With three ticks remaining Brookes finished the quarter nailing down another trey to give the Lakers a 39-38 lead going into the final eight minutes.
In the final quarter LMC opened the advantage to 47-42 with five minutes to play after another Buck technical. Again they were unable to convert and the Bucks with the help from Tucker and Lee made a 6-0 run to regain the lead 48-47.
Daniel Caban gave the Lakers the lead with a basket at 4:21 for a 49-48 advantage as the Lakers hit 8-18 from the free throw line in the final eight minutes and Buchanan was unable to put the ball through the net on several three point attempts to tie the game at 57.
Hall led the team with 12 rebounds and finished with 13 points and Kyles pulled 9 off the glass and scored 11.
Buchanan finished the game with 24 turnovers.
The Bucks will host Cassopolis on Friday with the freshman game to begin at 4 p.m. and the junior varsity and varsity games to follow.
Junior Varsity and Freshmen
The Buchanan junior varsity team came away with a 60-54 victory as Derek Anglaro netted 15 for the Bucks. Joshua Edd finished with 15 for the Lakers.
In freshmen action it was all Lakers as they downed the Bucks 66-29. For Buchanan Josh Cecco finished with nine points. Kenneth Crowder had a game high 30 points for LMC.
Buchanan 14 26 38 54
LMC 15 19 39 59
BUCHANAN (54) 2-4
Danian Bryant 1 0-0 2, Jeff Kyles 5 1-2 11, Avery Brown 0 0-0 0, Eric Cole 1 0-0 2, Jordan Lee 7 4-4 18, Terrill Tucker 2 0-0 4, Taylor Johnson 1 0-0 2, Marquis Hall 5 3-4 13, Jason Kuntz 1 0-0 2, Totals 23 8-10 54.
LMC (59) 3-4
Elliott Berlin 0 0-2 0, Daniel Caban 5 5-8 15, Paul Kaminski 4 1-3 9, Jonathan Bovo 1 5-10 7, Chase Yawn 0 0-2 0, Zachary Brookes 9 1-2 24, Matthew Curtis 1 1-3 4, Totals 20 13-30 59.
Team Fouls: (fouled out) Buchanan 21 (none), LMC 11 (none); Technical fouls: McBeth, Damian Bryant, Buchanan; Three point shooting: Buchanan 0, LMC 5 (Brookes)