LIBERTY CENTER – The home team controlled every aspect of the game – shooting, rebounding and defensively, as Liberty Center handed a young Evergreen squad a 61-32 NWOAL loss Friday night.
Joel Studer helped LC jump out to a 12-2 lead with seven quick points inside in the first 3:30 of the game.
Then, thanks to the Vikings 3 of 13 shooting in the second quarter and dominating offensive board play, the Tigers continued to extend the lead to 32-15 at halftime.
Evergreen made a run in the third quarter to chop the lead to 34-24 before again Evergreen went stone cold the rest of the game.
Studer’s 13 led the Tigers, while Josh Dowling had 11 to lead Evergreen.
Saturday night the Vikings again fell way behind in the first half at Edon thanks to the Bombers’ three point shooting display from Jim Peckham.
Peckham laced five first half triples while on his way to 22 first half points as Edon went up 41-27 at the half.
Evergreen still trailed 56-45 with 4:35 left when they rallied.
Nick Etue hit 5 of 6 from the foul line and fed Dowling for a layup off a steal to help the Vikes get within 56-53 with 2:17 left.
Preston Klingler’s run out layup off a Viking miss made it 60-53 with 58 seconds left, but Dowling fed Etue after a steal for a score with 19 seconds left to cut it to 60-55.
Braden Miller could only convert 1 for 2 from the stripe for the Bombers but they still led 61-55, but Bryce Hudik hit a three-ball with 10 seconds left to get Evergreen within 61-58.
Forced to foul, Evergreen put Klingler on the line and after a pair of misses, Dowling ran down the rebound and fed Chandler Lumbrezer for a triple that hit all net at the buzzer to force overtime.
Tied at 64 with 27 seconds left, Teagan Pinkelman’s back door basket from Dowling gave the Vikings their first lead of the night at 66-64, but that lead was short lived as Landon Bloir forced his way to the hoop for the tying basket with 3.5 left to put the game into a second overtime.
However, Evergreen again went frigid in the next four minutes and Edon hit 6 of 8 from the foul stripe down the stretch to get their second win of the season as Evergreen fell to 3-7.
Peckham had 34, including six triples to lead Edon. Etue led Evergreen with 24, Lumbrezer added 20 and Hudik 13.
Evergreen now plays a back-to-back this weekend at Swanton on Friday and at home against Pettisville Saturday.
Joe Blystone can be reached at [email protected]
