The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Lake Catholic opens with a W
Luka Eller scored 29 points, Luke Frazier added 22 and Lake Catholic opened its season with a 82-65 victory over visiting Gilmour Nov. 30.
The Cougars’ statistics followed suit with much of their games a year ago, as Lake Catholic’s star juniors led the way on the scoreboard. But after the victory, coach Matt Moran impressed on his players the meaning of how they went about winning their first game.
“If we use that intensity in practice all year how we played today,” Frazier said, “he said we can be one of the best teams he’s ever had and at Lake Catholic.”
Gilmour opened an early lead, 11-7, behind three 3-point makes by Ryan Coan. Eller keyed a 13-0 run and the Cougars led, 22-17, after a quarter. Lake Catholic pushed the lead into double-digits early in the second quarter. Frazier blocked a Gilmour shot off the glass that sent the Cougars in transition the opposite way, where Eller found Ryan Boruszkowski for a layup and 30-19 lead.
Lake Catholic took a 4331 lead into halftime. Frazier picked up his scoring in the third quarter to help push the Cougars’ lead to 24 points, 69-45, by the start of the fourth quarter.
Gilmour’s guards faceguarded Frazier to prevent his catch-and-shoot chances on the perimeter. The junior sparked his scoring by attacking the basket off the dribble.
“That’s the step Luke made from last year to this year,” Moran said. “Now he’s able to create himself, to get open. He doesn’t shy away from when a guy’s in his face defending him, he feels them, he gets angry, he’s doing a great job getting open then he knew when he could get to the basket.”
No other player scored in double-figures for Lake Catholic, but Moran was still pleased by the ball distribution. Eller’s teammates rewarded him frequently as the 6-foot-9 forward ran the floor well.
In the halfcourt, the Lancers trapped ball screens so Eller slipped to the basket where the Cougars fed him as he cut.
“There’s no egos on this team right now,” Moran said. “I know it’s only game one, but I think that’s just a great sign they knew, hey, what’s the best way of trying to beat this team? Let’s start by pounding it inside.”
Lake Catholic’s defensive game plan centered on Gilmour’s guards — the electric CJ Charleston and sharpshooting Connor O’Toole. Although Charleston’s legs are still adjusting to basketball after he scored 51 touchdowns during football season, the Cougars recognized the defensive efforts of Sean Fitzgerald, Christian DeMitro and Boruszkowski.
O’Toole, arguably the area’s best outside shooter, was held to three points as DeMitro hounded him off screens.
“I think Christian DeMitro, hat’s off to him, he did a phenomenal job with him,” Eller said. “Coach gave him one job during the game, just to get all up over him, I think he just did a perfect job with that.”
Coan made four 3-pointers to lead Gilmour with 16 points. Garrett Olsen added 15 and Charleston chipped in 10.
Dan DeCrane coached his first game at Gilmour after four seasons at Columbus Bishop Ready. Alongside their new coach, the Lancers are incorporating many new faces into the varsity rotation alongside Charleston, O’Toole and Coan.
DeCrane was encouraged by Gilmour’s play in spurts against an experienced team. He hopes to see the Lancers stay within their offense when the Cougars quickened tempo.
“The bottom line that we knew we were going to come away from ‘W’ or an ‘L,’ was a lot of things to learn from and get better at,” DeCrane said. “We’re going to be so much different in January and February than we are now.”