Lakeshore advances to Trib consolation finals
Lakeshore’s Thomas Cryer is a key piece of his basketball team’s offence.
“Thomas is an explosive player,” Gators head coach Todd Shoalts said. “He has all kinds of offensive ability and he’s as quick as lightning. When he turns the jets on, no one can keep up with him.”
Lakeshore needed all of the Grade 11 student’s offensive arsenal Friday in a 63-55 win over the Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs in the consolation semifinals of the 64th Annual Welland Tribune Basketball Tournament. The six-foot guard finished with a game-high 21 points to lead his team to victory.
Cryer uses his speed to great advantage.
“It helps me get steals on defence and it translates to buckets on the other end when I get steals,” he said.
He has yet to use his speed in track and field but plans to take up that sport next spring.
The Port Colborne Hornets travel basketball player is making adjustments in his first year of senior boys basketball.
“The change from junior to senior is insane,” the 16-year-old said. “The guys are way bigger and tougher and the defences are a lot stronger.”
He felt it took him a few games to adjust to competing at the senior level.
“I played on a travel team against older kids so I was already used to the aggressiveness.”
Churchill coach Greg Loucks was happy with his team’s performance Friday.
“That was great,” he said. “It was a close game for us and we are getting a little bit better. In the Port Colborne tournament, those guys beat us by 30 so we are improving.
“We still have a long way to go but I was very happy with our play.”
The Bulldogs grabbed an early 14-6 lead on the Gators before Lakeshore responded with a 14-0 run to take the lead it would never relinquish.
“They stepped up the intensity,” Loucks said. “We played so poorly the first game against them that maybe they were standing back to see if we could hit shots.
“Once we hit a couple of shots, they really stepped it up.”
Aside from his team’s slow start, Shoalts was really proud of his team recording the victory.
“It was really super sloppy at first and then we got control,” he said. “Then we kind of let it go in the fourth quarter, but a win is a win.
“It’s nice for our team to be in a consolation final again.”
Lakeshore’s last appearance in a consolation final was 2015 when the Gators lost 57-47 to Thorold Secondary School.
Cryer is looking forward to Saturday’s final.
“I don’t think our team has won a consolation final in a while so it’s going to be exciting.”
STATS PACK
Gators 63 Bulldogs 55
Mountainview Homes Players of the Game: Lakeshore’s Thomas Cryer and Churchill’s Nate Butler.
For the Lakeshore Catholic Gators: Thomas Cryer 21; Allan Pambianco 12; Samuel Beifuss 9; Aiden Plante 7; Nick Cryer 6; Chace Beauregard 5; Travis Quinn-Hill 2; Andrew Scott 1.
For the Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs: Nate Butler 15; Oreoluwa Fowler 13; Noah Garnace 12; Nick Beaudoin 8; Brendan Barker 5; Blake Gowling 1.
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