Cougars’ capper is big win

Lake Catholic concluded its regular season Feb. 23 with a 5445 win at Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin. The Cougars wrapped up a 16-6 season, including a 7-3 record to tie for second in the North Coast League’s Blue Division.

Lake Catholic has a week off before the Cougars face the winner of Perry and Harvey in a sectional final March 2. Their time off should prove beneficial.

Luka Eller scored 14 of his game-high 27 points in the first half as the Cougars opened up a double-digit lead over the rival Lions. The game’s second half resembled what’s plagued Lake Catholic in the regular season’s final weeks.

“We’ve realized we’ve played really sloppy the past couple games,” Eller said. “We came out really strong today, going up 16-7. The second half wasn’t our greatest, we got sloppy in the third and fourth. But I’m just happy we got the win.”

NDCL cut its deficit to single-digits before the final buzzer sounded. Lake Catholic led by as many as 18 points in the second half.

The 22-game campaign began to exact its toll on the Cougars in the season’s final third. After a 9-0 start, Lake Catholic dropped three straight games to Gilmour, Akron Hoban and Benedictine. Another arduous threegame stretch against VASJ, Walsh Jesuit and Holy Name added two more losses to the Cougars’ record.

Coach Matt Moran plans to give his players the entire weekend off before the Cougars resume practice Feb. 26.

“I think any coach will say it’s a grind,” Moran said. “It’s the longest season out of any sport. When you put in those snow days, cancellations, one week you’re playing five games and the next week you’re playing one game.”

Luke Frazier added 12 points for Lake Catholic Feb. 23.

Eller scored 12 in the first quarter to help the Cougars build a 16-7 lead after eight minutes. Sean Fitzgerald’s corner 3-pointer sent Lake Catholic into halftime with a 28-13 edge.

The Cougars’ lead peaked at 40-22 after an Eller layup. Zach Zienka’s 3-pointer brought NDCL within 14, 45-31, headed to the fourth quarter. The Lions cut their deficit to as little as seven points in the final minutes.

Lake Catholic enters the postseason 10 games over .500, a distinct position compared to their 1111 mark headed into the 2017 state tournament. Then, Eller and Frazier led the Cougars to a regional berth as freshmen.

Last year’s experience figures to assist Lake Catholic, the Lakeside District’s No. 1 seed, in a rigorous bracket.

“We’re ready,” Eller said. “We know what to expect and we know it’s just going to be a lot of fun.”

Five of Lake Catholic’s six losses came by singledigit margins. The outlier was a 15-point loss at Benedictine Jan. 9, when the Cougars were without starting guards Frazier and Brandon Horton.

Postseason success will require the Cougars grow from their losses to earn close victories in March.

“I feel we are learning from everything,” Moran said. “I think we’ve got to get a little rest so we’re ready to go.”

Kameron King led the Lions with 10 points Feb. 23.

NDCL begins postseason play against Glenville on Feb. 27. The Lions finished the regular season 3-19.

Coach Chris Poulos has endured three-win seasons before, but noted the togetherness of this year’s team was encouraging.

“Those seasons seemed like years,” Poulos said. “This season, pleasantly, has gone by at a quick pace because of the kids’ attitudes and their positivity throughout the entire year, working hard throughout the entire year.”