Lake Catholic makes adjustments, tops Padua

Lake Catholic entered halftime at Padua trailing, unable to establish offensive rhythm.

The Bruins fazed the Cougars, who played their first game in nine days, with a mix of man-to-man and zone defenses. Padua showed Lake Catholic a different defense each trip down the floor.

Cougars’ coach Matt Moran’s main adjustment at halftime was simple — ensure Luka Eller touches the ball on every possession.

Eller scored 12 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, Lake Catholic limited the Bruins to six points in the fourth quarter and the Cougars earned a 52-46 win on the road against a North Coast League opponent.

“If I had the shot, shoot it,” Eller said Moran told him. “But when he told us the adjustments, dribbling down low was always there. I tried to be aggressive and just finish.”

Eller’s interior play in the second half left Padua searching for a solution to stop the 6-foot-7 sophomore forward.

Eller scored Lake Catholic’s first six points of the second half to give the Cougars a brief lead. His and-one layup early in the fourth quarter put Lake Catholic ahead, 43-42.

Sean Fitzgerald’s 3-pointer answered a Padua basket. Eller followed with a layup for a 48-44 lead. The tandem of Eller’s offense and the Cougars’ defense led to a 15-6 fourthquarter tally in Lake Catholic’s favor.

“We needed to get Luka the ball more around the rim,” Moran said. “He did a great job with that. When it all came down to it, we defended and were able to get stops.”

After he helped lead the Cougars to a district title as a freshman, Eller’s added to his game. He’s more confident in his shot from the perimeter, a better ballhandler and stronger after a summer in the weight room.

Through 10 games as a sophomore, Eller leads the team with 21.9 points and 11.3 rebounds per game When Moran calls on him, Eller is eager for the opportunity.

“I love it,” Eller said. “Even if it doesn’t go to me, just being a part of it and shooting whenever I can to help my teammates and help us get a win.”

Luke Frazier added 10 points in his return to the lineup. He scored five of the team’s first seven points, including a one-handed dunk in transition. Lake Catholic opened its road contest with an 11-0 run. The Cougars held Padua scoreless until 1:40 remained in the first quarter.

Bruins coach Brian Ansberry took a timeout and his team closed within five, 13-8, at the quarter’s close. Padua held Lake Catholic to eight points in the second and led, 22-21, at halftime.

The Cougars and Bruins traded leads in the third quarter until Dan Stuczynski’s 3-pointer gave Padua a 40-37 lead headed to the fourth. There, Lake Catholic earned its ninth win in 10 games.

Kevin Peterson led Padua with 13 points. Ansberry was proud of his team’s effort to rebound from an early deficit, and is encouraged by the Bruins’ defensive effort before the Cougars gained control.

“I think we had a bit of trouble getting in some (offensive) stuff,” Ansberry said. “I think half of that was due to them, and some of it was due to us kind of being a new group and learning how to win these close games.”

After Padua’s defense held Lake Catholic off-balance for the majority of three quarters, the Cougars’ defensive work made the final imprint on their victory.

“Our defense kept us in the game,” Moran said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well. We had to be a little more patient offensively when they’re in their zones but we got stops when we needed to. One thing we take pride in is our defense, and that’s what won us the game.”