Wolves push winning streak to 15 games

LITTLE ROCK — For Lake Hamilton’s senior boys, it wasn’t how they started, but rather how they finished Tuesday night at J.A. Fair.

Clinging to a slim 32-30 lead after three quarters, the Wolves (19-2,

10-0 5A-South) opened the final frame on a 12-2 run to pull away for a

53-40 win, pushing their winning streak to 15 games.

“I thought our pressure bothered them; we were able to turn them over some and turn that into some points,” Lake Hamilton head coach Scotty Pennington said.

“We really focused at halftime on attacking the basket. When you go to the hole, you have to have a grown man finish and score no matter what.”

Implementing his coach’s plan to attack the War Eagles (8-13, 3-7) inside, senior forward Kanaan Williams bullied his way down low for an easy score and converted on the and-one attempt from the free throw line to open the fourth quarter.

“It set the tone for us and helped us to push the lead on out a little bit,” said Pennington. “I’m proud of our grit and toughness, and our ability to come into a tough atmosphere against a good team that’s well-coached. They’re physical, and I was proud of how we found a way to win on the road.”

A layup by Gerald Collins pulled Fair within 40-32 early in the final period, but the War Eagles got no closer. Junior Malique Hill answered right back with two free throws and Lake Hamilton pushed its lead to as many as 15 points before closing out the win.

Senior guard Lane Kersey led a balanced offensive attack for the Wolves with a game-high 17 points. Malique Hill finished with 13 points, while Clyde Hill scored nine points, Williams had seven points and senior guard Mondo Watkins chipped in with six points.

“Our guards have been consistent, but when our post guys step up

and score instead of just defending and rebounding, it makes us a lot better,” Pennington said.

“We’re 10-0 in conference and 19-2 overall, but we feel like we still have some ways that we can improve and get even better. That makes us feel good about ourselves going into the future.”

Kersey gave Lake Hamilton an early momentum boost on the strength of his outside shooting. The senior hit two 3-pointers in the first quarter, including a fourpoint play from the free throw line, as the Wolves built a 13-7 advantage at the end of the frame.

Despite another trey from Kersey and a quick basket by Malique Hill to give Lake Hamilton a 19-11 lead in the second quarter, the War Eagles wouldn’t go down without a fight.

Sophomore Nolan Young scored seven points and Fair closed the period on a 10-0 run to take a 21-19 advantage into halftime.

“I felt like we didn’t guard the last four minutes of the second quarter,” said Pennington. “We got a little lazy with the lead and decided that we were just going to cruise.

“They’re too quick and too athletic to guard going half speed. At halftime, we talked to them about staying in front, containing penetration and blocking out defensively.”

Following a 3-pointer by Erlon Boose, Dewayne White gave Fair its largest lead of the game at 30-24 late in the third quarter before the Wolves regained control for good.

An and-one by Clyde Hill sparked an 8-0 run to give Lake Hamilton a 32-30 lead entering the final frame.

Young paced the War Eagles with nine points, while Boose and Collins each finished with six points.

Lake Hamilton will host revenge-minded Hot Springs (21-3, 9-1) at Wolf Arena tonight. The Wolves edged the Trojans, 39-36, in their last meeting on Jan. 15 on Hot Springs’ home court.

“We definitely want to protect home court and playing a game like this should help us do that; we’ll be ready to play,” Pennington said. “Our kids play really well at home.

“We felt like if we could go over there and win, that would be huge. When we did that, it was a stepping stone for us.”