This page will be updated throughout the week to keep you up-to-date on all of your favorite LOHS teams…
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Sunday – The Lake Orion hockey squad got two goals both Brad Berschbach and Corbin Rainey on Saturday night, en route to a come-from-behind 5-4 victory at Birmingham Unified.
The Dragons won in OAA I action for the first time since November, improving to 2-2-1 in league action and sweeping the season series against Birmingham.
John Costigan added four assists for Lake Orion, which trailed by a goal on three separate occasions in the game.
Berschbach’s second goal tied the game at four in the final seconds of the second period and Rainey’s second tally proved to be the winner just 56 seconds into the final period.
For more on the team, please see next week’s Lake Orion Review.
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Saturday – The Lake Orion boys’ hoops team lost their third straight game, falling 81-72 Friday night in an OAA crossover at Pontiac Northern.
Drew Maynard led the Dragons with 23 points, while Northern’s Isaiah Phlegm led all scorers with 24.
Northern improved to 5-4 with the win, while Lake Orion fell to 4-5.
Things don’t get any easier for the Dragons with a trip to Romeo scheduled for Tuesday night.
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Friday – The Lake Orion girls’ hoops squad continued their record-breaking pace Thursday night, routing visiting Farmington Hills Harrison 57-18 in an OAA III contest.
The Dragons improved to 11-0 (5-0 in league action) with the win.
Cortney Kimmel led all scorers with 11 points, and the Dragon defense held Harrison to just five points over the entire second and third quarters.
The team travels to Berkley next Tuesday night.
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Friday – The Lake Orion hockey squad tied visiting Waterford Kettering 2-2 Thursday night in an OAA I showdown.
The Dragons got 32 saves from Jason Stross, including a save on a break away in the final minute.
Lake Orion struck first on a Brad Berschbach goal in the first period and took a 2-1 lead into the third after John Costigan scored in the final seconds of the second period.
Kettering scored the tying goal with just over five minutes left.
The Dragons are now 1-2-1 in league play, and travel to Birmingham for a 7 p.m. face-off on Saturday.
***
Thursday – The Lake Orion wrestling squad improved to 10-2 on the season and 3-1 in OAA I action with a pair of victories at home last Wednesday over Troy Athens and Rochester Adams.
Neither match was really in doubt, as the Dragons opened with a 53-12 win against Athens, then topped Adams 44-12 in the nightcap.
For more on the victories, see next week’s Lake Orion Review.
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Wednesday – The Lake Orion girls? basketball team improved to a school-record 10-0 start Tuesday night, while the boys? team saw their 19-game league win streak come to a close during a doubleheader against Troy Athens at LOHS.
The girls? opened the night with a 58-34 OAA crossover victory, led by Courtney Zott’s 20 points. Bethany Watterworth added 13 points, nine rebounds and five steals for the Dragons.
Lake Orion turned an eight-point halftime edge into a comfortable double-digit lead in the third quarter, one which saw Zott score 13 points. Kelly Bruggeman scored 14 points in defeat for Athens, which fell to 4-7.
The Dragons host Farmington Hills Harrison on Thursday night at 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, the boys? got off to a rough start and could never recover, falling 44-33 in an OAA II contest.
Athens led 13-1 late in the first quarter before Reed Losee scored LO’s first field goal in the final five seconds. Lake Orion trailed by nine at the break and never got much closer than that in the second half.
The league loss was Lake Orion’s first since February of 2006, when they were a member of the OAA III. They won the league that year, then went undefeated in the OAA II last season. At 4-1 in league play this season (4-4 overall), they still sit atop the league standings.
‘It’s a little bit different playing with the target on your back,? Coach Jim Manzo said. ‘We worried about a let down after the Clarkston game. We spotted them nine-points early and didn’t have enough gas in the tank at the end.?
Drew Maynard scored 10 to lead the Dragons. Athens? Bob Rodgers led all scorers with 11 points. The Red Hawks improved to 2-2 in league action (and 3-4 overall).
Lake Orion travels to Pontiac Northern on Friday night.
Sports Update
This web feature is updated throughout the week to bring you the very latest in Lake Orion sports…
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Saturday – On Thursday, Southfield-Lathrup fell by just two points to Detroit Community, the top-ranked team in Class B.
Last night they found themselves on losing end again, this time to Lake Orion, ranked ninth in Class A… By 27 points.
The Dragons continued their unbeaten start (now 13-0) with a 50-23 rout of visiting Lathrup, a victory keyed by a 26-4 run that spanned parts of three quarters.
Courtney Zott led all scorers in the game with 22 points, and Bethany Watterworth added 10 points and nine rebounds.
It was the Dragons seventh straight win of at least 24 points or more, a streak dating back over a month.
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Friday – Drew Maynard’s 22 points and 20 rebounds helped Lake Orion edge host Auburn Hills Avondale Thursday night in an OAA II match-up.
The game was close throughout, with the Dragons coming from behind in the fourth quarter to earn the win and improve to 5-1 in league action.
Avondale fell to 8-3 overall and 4-2 in the league.
The Dragons also got 14 points from Chris Lum and 11 from Anthony Fields.
The team travels to Rochester on Tuesday night.
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Friday – The Dragon hockey squad got a hat trick from Brad Berschbach on Thursday night, but had to settle for a 5-all tie against host Farmington Hills Unified.
The hosts came back from deficits of 4-2 and 5-4 in the third period to earn a point in the OAA I contest. Berschbach’s hat trick was matched by Farmington Hills? Andy Phillips.
Lake Orion got three assists from Matt Milliman and a goal and an assist each from Corbin Rainey and John Costigan.
The Dragons are now 2-2-2 in OAA I action and travel to Waterford Mott on Saturday.
***
Friday – The Lake Orion swim team improved to 5-0 on the season with a 120-66 victory over Troy Athens Thursday night at the LOHS Natatorium.
The Dragons swept all three relay events and also got individual victories from Drew Fritsch (200-free), Petar Simic (200-IM and 100-back), Kyle Kibbee (50-free) and David Kullmann (100-free).
The relay teams included Nicholas Leggieri, Simic, Mark Vetter and Kibbee in the 200-medley; Kibbee, Kullmann, Caleb Narsh and Peter Slavin in the 200-free; and Kullmann, Slavin, Fritsch and Darryn Horvath in the 400-free.
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Thursday – In a near repeat of what took place in their gymnasium almost a month ago, the Lake Orion wrestling squad topped Novi Detroit Catholic Central on Wednesday night.
Last time, it was for first place in the Oakland County meet. This time it was for bragging rights in a dual meet setting.
The Dragons won 34-27 in a battle between two of the state’s top teams (Lake Orion is ranked sixth in the state, while CC is seventh).
Lake Orion used a Joe Graffeo pin at 152-pounds, decisions by Jake Varilek and Morgan Maciejewski (at 160- and 171-pounds, respectively) and an Evan Gros pin at 189 pounds to reel off the last 18 points of the match, sealing the comeback effort.
The Dragons started their evening with a 73-3 trouncing of Marlette, which included 10 Lake Orion pins.
LO improved to 16-3 on the season. It was their final home meet of the regular season.
New Michigan Football Coach Rich Rodriguez was in attendance for part of the night to watch CC’s Mike Martin wrestle. Martin, a highly recruited defensive lineman who has verbally committed to U-M, pinned LO’s Tyler Benson in the 285-pound class.
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Wednesday – The Lake Orion boys’ hoops squad continued their longest losing streak in three years Tuesday night, falling 90-64 at Romeo.
Romeo senior Blake Cushingberry got the best of his friend and future teammate, LOHS’ Drew Maynard, both on the scoreboard and in the scoring column.
Cushingberry had a game-high 40 points, one of the highest totals ever given up by an Orion team, while Maynard led the Dragons with 24.
Lake Orion fell to 4-6 on the year. They resume OAA II play (where they are 4-1) on Thursday night with a 7 p.m. tip at Avondale.
***
Wednesday – The Lake Orion girls’ squad continued their record-setting start with a 73-29 drubbing of host Berkley in an OAA III contest Tuesday night.
Courtney Zott led the Dragons with a game-high 16 points, on a night where every member of the LOHS squad got in the scorer’s column.
The team led by 17 after one quarter and held a 37-11 lead at halftime. A running clock was used for part of the second half.
The Dragons are now 12-0 (6-0 in league action), with a home OAA crossover tilt set for Friday night at 7 p.m. against Southfield Lathrup.
This web feature is updated throughout the week to bring you the very latest in Lake Orion sports…
A busy day in sports Saturday saw both Dragon basketball squads fall in an entertaining doubleheader at perennial powerhouse Country Day and the Lake Orion hockey squad win its first-ever showdown with Clarkstonand the cheerleaders host some of the state’s best.
For stories on basketball and hockey, please see this web edition.
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Sunday – A strong third round performance helped the Lake Orion cheer squad move from fourth to second place Saturday in the annual Lake Orion Invitational.
Their 314.5 round three score was one of the state’s best all season, as the team leapfrogged both Grandville and Stoney Creek. Rochester took first place, with their 783.1 score nearly 16 points ahead of the Dragons.
Twelve teams competed in Division I of Saturday’s competition.
Look for a full story on the event in this week’s Lake Orion Review.
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Friday – Host Oak Park put an end to the Lake Orion girls? basketball squad’s unbeaten start Thursday night, earning a 50-45 overtime victory and getting revenge for an earlier defeat in Lake Orion.
Courtney Zott scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds to lead the Dragons, who also got a career-high 13 points from Alexis Haan.
Haan hit two free throws in the closing seconds of regulation to send the game into overtime, but Oak Park came back from an early deficit in the
The team played without starter Bethany Watterworth, who was ill. She scored 20 points and had 13 rebounds in the team’s 64-44 victory over Oak Park back in December. Usual starter Cortney Kimmel was also limited.
The team fell to 13-1 on the season and 6-1 in OAA III action.
They travel to Country Day on Saturday for the first leg of a girls/boys doubleheader, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
***
Friday – A third period comeback effort by the Dragon hockey squad was thwarted by visiting Farmington on Thursday night, as the Falcons skated away with a 5-2 victory, their 11th in as many tries in the OAA I this season.
Lake Orion trailed 3-0 through two periods and was outshot 30-8, while playing without five regulars.
The Dragons got on the scoreboard 69 seconds into the third period on a Brad Berschbach power play goal, then cut the deficit to one 50 seconds later on a John Costigan score.
Farmington’s Andy Hall gave his team some breathing room, however, by scoring on a slap shot from near the blue line only 19 seconds after Costigan’s goal.
Eric Nahat added an insurance goal (his second of the game) with five minutes left, to account for the final score.
Lake Orion, which fell to 2-3-3 in league action, takes on rival Clarkston Saturday night at 6 p.m. at the Detroit Skating Club.
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Thursday – The Lake Orion girls’ ski squad just missed out on a perfect score, while the boys’ team couldn’t quite hang with one of the state’s elite Tuesday and Wednesday at Pine Knob.
The girls’ used a pair of first place finishes (in the slalom and giant slalom) from Emily Loerch to help top Waterford United 21-59.
In Wednesday’s GS, the squad swept the top six positions.
The boys’ meanwhile, fell 24-52, and were paced by Stephen Sims fourth-place finish in the slalom event.
***
Thursday – Shutouts are common in sports like hockey and baseball, but not so much in wrestling. And certainly not twice in one night.
But that’s exactly what the Dragon wrestlers did Wednesday night, going on the road for a pair of victories against West Bloomfield and Troy — by identical scores of 71-0.
The team improved to 21-4 in dual meets this season.
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Wednesday – The boys’ basketball squad held Rochester under 30 points Tuesday night, earning a 48-27 road win in an OAA II contest.
The Dragons improved to 6-1 in league action (6-6 overall), and earned a sweep of the season series with the Falcons.
Drew Maynard and Anthony Fields combined for 32 points to lead Lake Orion, which travels to Country Day on Saturday.
***
The Lake Orion boys? bowling squad placed second at the county meet, held last weekend at Wonderland Lanes in Commerce Township.
Of the 25 participating teams, the squad was one of 16 to advance from the qualifying round, which included a combined score of three team games and four baker games.
They placed sixth overall in the qualifying rounds, then knocked off Waterford Mott (440-427), Berkley (404-346) and Catholic Central (459-397) in head-to-head two-game Baker competition to advance to the finals.
There, league foe Walled Lake Central came back from a 29-pin deficit after the first game to earn a narrow 378-368 victory and claim the championship.
In individual competition (consisting of three games), Lake Orion was led by Rob Bondon’s 14th-place finish (660 total). Blake Stephen (24th, 629), Eric Ramaekers (32nd, 611), Jeff Suma 40th, 602) and John Frye (46th, 595) also finished among the county’s top-50.
Meanwhile, the girls? squad qualified for the final 16 based on a 10th-place performance in the early rounds.
They fell, however, in the first round of Baker play 330-289 to Walled Lake Northern, another member of the Northern Lakes Conference. The team from Walled Lake Central also took first place in the girls? competition.
Andrea Miller led the team in individual play with a 10th-place finish (586). Kelsey Kohut placed 35th (525).
Look for more, including results from this weekend’s action, in next week’s Lake Orion Review.
This web feature is updated throughout the week to bring you the very latest in Lake Orion sports…
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Tuesday – Southfield overcame a 10-point halftime deficit on Tuesday night to top host Lake Orion, 66-56, in a key OAA II contest.
Drew Maynard scored a game-high 26 points, but 18 of those came in the first half for the Dragons (8-7, 7-2). Chris Lum added nine points and 10 rebounds.
Marcus Hopkins scored 16 of his team-high 20 after halftime for Southfield. The Bluejays got 18 points from Bowling Green-bound Austin Calhoun.
Southfield erased their halftime deficit in only a few minutes and held off a few Lake Orion rallies in the closing minutes to improve to 8-1 in league action (10-6 overall).
Both teams have three league tilts remaining, and Southfield can end Lake Orion’s consecutive league title streak by winning out.
Look for more on the game Wednesday at www.lakeorionreview.com.
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Thursday – The Lake Orion boys? basketball squad is coming home on a high note.
The Dragons wrapped up a stretch in which they played 10 of 11 games on the road with a 44-39 victory at Rochester Adams in an OAA II contest Thursday night.
Drew Maynard scored a game-high 19 points, including a go-ahead three-pointer early in the fourth quarter that gave Lake Orion the lead for good.
‘The road trip did not start out very well, but our kids are really starting to show some grit,? Lake Orion Coach Jim Manzo said. ‘Like it or not, that’s our kind of score. We need to start defending people to get ready for the (postseason) tournament.?
Anthony Fields added 11 points for the Dragons and Chris Lum had eight rebounds, seven steals and five assists to go along with two key buckets in the final stanza.
‘A lot of times I just read their eyes,? Lum said of his seven swipes. ‘They were starting to get pretty predictable with their plays and I just tried to bait them.?
The Lake Orion defense forced 24 Adams turnovers, as the Dragons swept the season series and improved to 7-1 in league play.
‘I think our man-to-man defense has gotten a lot better,? Manzo said. ‘Hopefully we can rely on it down the stretch.?
The team went .500 on their road trip and is now 7-7 overall.
‘I feel like we have one of the hardest schedules,? Lum said. ‘We’re a .500 team, but it’s only going to make us better.?
Adams was led by J.D. Osborne’s 15 points.
‘We’ve played this game probably six times this year,? Adams Coach John Hall said. ‘We’ve been right there and played really well with a great effort. We just keep coming up a bit short.?
On Thursday, it was a 9-0 Dragon run to start the fourth quarter that did Hall’s squad in.
Lake Orion battled some foul trouble in the third quarter and overcame a sub-par shooting performance (16-for-48, 33-percent) to get the win.
It was their fourth straight victory over Adams since moving into the OAA II last season.
‘The two schools have a great rivalry across the board,? Hall said. ‘The basketball rivalry has really developed over the last couple of years.?
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Thursday – Bethany Watterworth’s 13 second half points helped Lake Orion pull away from visiting Stoney Creek Wednesday night in an OAA III match-up between a pair of 6-1 teams.
Stoney Creek’s Brittney Nelson matched Watterworth with 17 points in the game, but didn’t get too much help from her teammates, as Lake Orion prevailed 45-34.
Courtney Zott added 10 points for the Dragons, who improved to 14-2 overall.
The win also ended the Dragons? two-game losing streak.
Watterworth made 10 of 12 free throw attempts in the game, including eight of nine after the break.
Lake Orion’s 16-15 halftime lead was short-lived, as the Cougars took the lead on a couple of occasions early in the third quarter.
The Dragons closed the stanza strong, grabbing an eight point lead. It ballooned to double-digits early in the fourth quarter, and the hosts held off a late Stoney Creek rally to sweep the season series.
The Dragons have four regular season games left, including a road tilt against Lahser at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Visit this page throughout the holiday break to stay up-to-date with all of your Lake Orion sports teams…
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Friday: The Lake Orion boys’ hoops squad hopes Thursday night’s game at the Breslin Center isn’t their last one in East Lansing this season.
The team learned a lot in defeat, falling 56-43 to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, which used a stifling defense to make a big second half comeback.
Drew Maynard scored 24 of Lake Orion’s first 28 points, as the Dragons took a lead into the early portions of the second half.
But St. Mary’s finished the game on a 34-15 run, including a 19-3 run to end the third quarter.
The Eaglets were led by Dion Simms 15 points. Maynard finished with 24.
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Sunday: The Lake Orion wrestling squad captured their first Oakland County team title since 1989. See the story in this web edition for more details.
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Saturday: The Lake Orion boys’ basketball squad will head into 2008 knowing they haven’t dropped a league game since February of 2006.
The team came from behind at Southfield on Friday night and improved to 3-0 in OAA II play (3-1) overall with a gusty 67-62 victory.
“It’s our 18th league game in a row,” Senior Drew Maynard said. “That’s a pretty big deal.”
Maynard led all scorers in the game with 23 points. He added 17 rebounds and four blocks, almost all of which came after Southfield raced out to an early 22-14 lead after one quarter.
“We got out rebounded in the first quarter, so I took it on myself,” Maynard said.
Chris Lum added 12 points and nine rebounds.
“When that 22 went up in the first quarter, we knew we weren’t going to win at that pace,” Coach Jim Manzo said. “We had to do a better job in the paint.”
His team responded, as Southfield, which went 11-for-14 in the first quarter, got worse in every quarter and shot just 35-percent as a team the rest of the game.
“We held a very explosive Southfield team to 40 points over the final three quarters,” Manzo said.
The Dragons took their first lead just under a minute into the final quarter on a Maynard put-back.
Their lead ballooned to as many as seven in the final few minutes, but Southfield made 13 of 20 free throws in the quarter to hang tough (they attempted just two free throws through the first three quarters).
With 30 seconds left and the Dragons clinging to a 63-62 lead, the host Blue Jays found themselves with a chance to reclaim the lead, but Marcus Hopkins jumper in the lane missed the mark. Maynard and Southfield star Austin Calhoun raced to the loose ball, with Maynard winning the battle and going the other way for an uncontested dunk.
“I just said, ‘this one is mine, you’re not getting this one,'” Maynard said. “We had a little battle.”
In the final seconds, Maynard blocked a Calhoun three-point attempt that would’ve tied the game. Alex Mayo’s free throws sealed the deal and accounted for the final score.
The Dragons won a similar game last year, pulling away down the stretch for one of their 12 league wins in as many tries. Both Manzo and Maynard downplayed the similarities.
“Every game is a new game,” Maynard said. “We have different players (than last year).”
One of the team’s new starters, sophomore point guard Anthony Fields, scored 15 points after halftime, including nine in the final quarter. He added a team-high six assists.
“He’s just a sophomore, but he’s got the confidence you look for in your point guard,” Manzo said, noting that Fields told him at halftime that the Dragons would come back from their eight-point deficit.
Lake Orion held Calhoun to just 12 points. Freshman Carlton Brundidge led the Blue Jays with 19 points.
The Dragons will travel to Michigan State on Thursday for a 6 p.m. tip at the Breslin Center against Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.
“They’re big,” Manzo said. “We’ll continue to hammer home that we have to hit the boards.”
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Friday: The LOHS girls’ basketball squad routed Lahser 62-24 in an OAA III contest Thursday night at the Greenhouse.
Cortney Kimmel led the Dragons with 11 points, five assists and five steals. Brittney Hopkins added 10 points.
Lake Orion improved to 7-0 with the victory.
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Friday: The LOHS boys’ swim team bested visiting Farmington Hills Harrison 108-78 Thursday night, to improve to 3-0 in OAA II action.
Winning events for the Dragons were Kyle Kibbee (50-free), Justin Davis (diving), Tom Clark (100-breast) and the 200-medley relay team of Nicholas Leggieri, Clark, Marc Vetter and Trevor Ross.
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Wednesday: The LOHS girls’ basketball squad topped visiting Pontiac Northern 60-55 Tuesday night in an OAA crossover contest.
The Dragons were led by three players in double-figures, including Courtney Zott (15 points), Bethany Watterworth (14) and Melanie Lamerato (13). Watterworth added 10 rebounds.
Visit this page throughout the holiday break to stay up-to-date with all of your Lake Orion sports teams…
***
Saturday: The Lake Orion boys? basketball squad will head into 2008 knowing they haven’t dropped a league game since February of 2006.
The team came from behind at Southfield on Friday night and improved to 3-0 in OAA II play (3-1) overall with a gusty 67-62 victory.
‘It’s our 18th league game in a row,? Senior Drew Maynard said. ‘That’s a pretty big deal.?
Maynard led all scorers in the game with 23 points. He added 17 rebounds and four blocks, almost all of which came after Southfield raced out to an early 22-14 lead after one quarter.
‘We got out rebounded in the first quarter, so I took it on myself,? Maynard said.
Chris Lum added 12 points and nine rebounds.
‘When that 22 went up in the first quarter, we knew we weren’t going to win at that pace,? Coach Jim Manzo said. ‘We had to do a better job in the paint.?
His team responded, as Southfield, which went 11-for-14 in the first quarter, got worse in every quarter and shot just 35-percent as a team the rest of the game.
‘We held a very explosive Southfield team to 40 points over the final three quarters,? Manzo said.
The Dragons took their first lead just under a minute into the final quarter on a Maynard put-back.
Their lead ballooned to as many as seven in the final few minutes, but Southfield made 13 of 20 free throws in the quarter to hang tough (they attempted just two free throws through the first three quarters).
With 30 seconds left and the Dragons clinging to a 63-62 lead, the host Blue Jays found themselves with a chance to reclaim the lead, but Marcus Hopkins jumper in the lane missed the mark. Maynard and Southfield star Austin Calhoun raced to the loose ball, with Maynard winning the battle and going the other way for an uncontested dunk.
‘I just said, ‘this one is mine, you’re not getting this one,?? Maynard said. ‘We had a little battle.?
In the final seconds, Maynard blocked a Calhoun three-point attempt that would’ve tied the game. Alex Mayo’s free throws sealed the deal and accounted for the final score.
The Dragons won a similar game last year, pulling away down the stretch for one of their 12 league wins in as many tries. Both Manzo and Maynard downplayed the similarities.
‘Every game is a new game,? Maynard said. ‘We have different players (than last year).?
One of the team’s new starters, sophomore point guard Anthony Fields, scored 15 points after halftime, including nine in the final quarter. He added a team-high six assists.
‘He’s just a sophomore, but he’s got the confidence you look for in your point guard,? Manzo said, noting that Fields told him at halftime that the Dragons would come back from their eight-point deficit.
Lake Orion held Calhoun to just 12 points. Carlton Bruntlidge led the Blue Jays with 19 points.
The Dragons will travel to Michigan State on Thursday for a 6 p.m. tip at the Breslin Center against Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.
‘They’re big,? Manzo said. ‘We’ll continue to hammer home that we have to hit the boards.?
***
Friday: The LOHS girls’ basketball squad routed Lahser 62-24 in an OAA III contest Thursday night at the Greenhouse.
Cortney Kimmel led the Dragons with 11 points, five assists and five steals. Brittney Hopkins added 10 points.
Lake Orion improved to 7-0 with the victory.
***
Friday: The LOHS boys’ swim team bested visiting Farmington Hills Harrison 108-78 Thursday night, to improve to 3-0 in OAA II action.
Winning events for the Dragons were Kyle Kibbee (50-free), Justin Davis (diving), Tom Clark (100-breast) and the 200-medley relay team of Nicholas Leggieri, Clark, Marc Vetter and Trevor Ross.
***
Wednesday: The LOHS girls’ basketball squad topped visiting Pontiac Northern 60-55 Tuesday night in an OAA crossover contest.
The Dragons were led by three players in double-figures, including Courtney Zott (15 points), Bethany Watterworth (14) and Melanie Lamerato (13). Watterworth added 10 rebounds.
Saturday night — Britney Nelson’s 16 second-half points made a game of it for host Stoney Creek, but Lake Orion’s 14-point halftime lead was too much to overcome in the end as the Dragons held on for a 58-50 victory in an OAA III contest Friday night.
‘I think that the more Stoney pushed us, the better we played,? Lake Orion Coach Steve Roberts said. ‘They weren’t going away, but our kids responded and came up with big plays down the stretch.?
Roberts credited his depth as the difference-maker in the end, and Stoeny Creek Coach Brad Crighton agreed.
‘Their match-ups are tough,? Crighton said. ‘They have four guards and Bethany can also play out on the wing.?
The Dragons led 31-17 at the break, before Stoney Creek opened the second half on an 11-0 run. They would cut it to three on several more occassions, but couldn’t get any closer.
‘In the first half we got a lot of open looks, they just weren’t going down,? he said. ‘They were hitting their shots and that was the difference.?
The Dragons employed a zone defense the entire game, one that sent defenders at Nelson every time she touched the ball.
Still, she finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, to lead all players in both categories.
The Dragons (5-0, 2-0) were led by Courtney Zott’s 20 points and six steals. Cortney Kimmel added 10 points and six assists.
Watterworth finished with a stat-sheet-stuffing night of 11 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three blocks.
‘We’ve got a good one-two punch with Watterworth and Zott,? Roberts said. ‘They’re both regularly getting up into the teens.?
***
Friday Update — The Lake Orion boys? hoops squad hit three-pointers on four consecutive trips in the second quarter (including two by Drew Maynard from about 25 feet) to turn what was a tight game into a double-digit lead that visiting Rochester Adams could never recover from.
The Dragons won the Thursday night OAA II showdown, 58-43.
Behind Maynard’s 18-point first half, Lake Orion built a 35-24 advantage that expanded to a 16-point lead early in the second half.
From there, Adams used a 9-0 run to get the game back to a more manageable deficit, but couldn’t get any closer.
The Dragons went cold, making just one of 15 field goal attempts through most of the third and part of the fourth quarter. But 10 Adams turnovers in the second half prevented any chance at a comeback.
‘The fourth quarter was encouraging because we got back to playing defense and we didn’t give them any easy baskets,? Manzo said, adding that the team still has a lot to work on.
Lake Orion was led by Maynard’s 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Anthony Fields added 12 points and six assists.
Adams (2-2, 1-1) was led by Kevin Rohner’s 15 points and John Zekaj’s 12, but the duo scored 22 of their 27 points before the break.
For more on this game, see next week’s Lake Orion Review.