The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Defense lifts Titans over Lutheran East
Lorain is known for it’s flashy, high-scoring offense, but the Titans played one of their best games defensively Feb. 15 to beat Lake Erie League rival Lutheran East, 74-56, on the road in a tournament-like atmosphere against a team with state-championship level aspirations itself. The young Falcons are defending Division III Canton Region champions and D-IV state champions from two seasons ago. Lorain (19-1) had its hands full through much of the third quarter before locking in on defense — the pride of this Titans’ program. Trailing, 43-40, at the 4:06 mark of the third quarter, Lorain upped the pressure and took away the open looks while causing turnover after turnover, and with starters E.J. Farmer and Jay Billingsley out with injuries, the shorthanded Falcons couldn’t find an answer.
The Titans went on a 22-2 run through 3:48 in the fourth quarter, shutting down Lutheran East’s Nehemiah Benson who had punished them to that point. “We put pressure on them. They weren’t comfortable,” Lorain senior Taevon Pierre-Louis said. “They weren’t getting the shots that they were getting in the first half. They weren’t getting open shots. We were contesting everything so I felt like it was a lot of pressure on them. “We were low key taking them for granted at the beginning, but I feel like in the second half we played solid defense and I felt like we caused turnovers from that and they turned the ball over themselves.” It was an uncharacteristically slow start for Lorain and the Titans were seemingly lackadaisical on the boards while Benson dominated down low. He finished with a gamehigh 32 points and nine rebounds but was held to nine points in the fourth quarter, all within the final four minutes when Lorain had stretched its lead to nearly 20 points. “From the five minute mark in the third quarter to the rest of the game we got after them,” Lorain coach John Rositano said. “That was state-championship level defense you saw… and that was the key to the game. We’re always gonna score points. That’s not an issue for us. But when we play the level of defense we’re used to playing we’re gonna be really tough to beat.” The Titans certainly got points from their two star seniors. Pierre-Louis finished with a team-high 24 while Devon Grant added 22, and junior Deonte Benejan chipped in 11. Pierre-Louis, who says he always plays with a chip on his shoulder, took Lorain’s slow start personally and went on a tear to close out the game for his team. He had eight rebounds and a game-high six assists and added a pair of late breakaway dunks to send the visiting Lorain fans into a frenzy. “We had so much fun,” Grant said of his teammate. “(Pierre-Louis) turned us up. He always turns us up. He keeps it fun, definitely. We keep each other having fun.” Pierre-Louis could say the same for Grant: “(He’s) real hard to stop because he keeps going. It’s obviously real hard to stop and it just be a show. How ya’ll be excited to see it that’s how we be excited to see it.” It’s not the first time Lutheran East coach Sam Liggins has been forced to game plan for two of Ohio’s top high school basketball players and said the play of Grant and Pierre-Louis paired with Lorain’s highpressure defense was entirely too much for his limited roster. “Those kids are incredible,” Liggins said of Grant and Pierre-Louis. “They’re seniors, they got a lot of experience, they’re talented, well-coached, so you always got your hands full playing those two kids for sure. “Being down two of our starters and two of our best players, the team had to handle some adversity. It can be that way.” Lorain has two games left on the regular-season schedule: Feb. 19 for a nonconference matchup at Avon and Feb. 22 in the final LEL game of the season against Warrensville Heights.