CENTERBURG — Brandt Lambert scored 22 points to lead the host Centerburg Trojans to a 57-50 victory over the Utica Redskins in MBC boys basketball action on Friday night.
“We knew it was going to be a battle,” said Centerburg coach Jim Simpson. “It was a battle clear to the end. It’s Utica, and Utica is always tough to play and it’s been a long time since we beat them. It was a war, and it showed out there. It wasn’t any blowout, and neither team was going to let it be that. We just had to keep the lead and take care of the basketball.”
The Redskins came out strong in the first half but went to the locker room down 28-21 after a 9-2 run for the Trojans.
Utica opened the second half with a shot underneath from Michael Sandman (10 points) and a 3-pointer from Kelsey Harriman (nine points and 10 rebounds) to help bring it to within two, 30-28.
That’s when the Trojans took over and almost broke it open. Lambert (three 3s) and Skyler Simpson hit inside buckets. Simpson’s came off an offensive rebound. Later in the quarter, Lambert dished it to Drew Osborne, who hit 2-pointer. Skyler Simpson (13 points and 13 rebounds) finished off the quarter with a bucket to put the Trojans on top by 10, 42-32.
Utica coach Eric Sheck said, “You know, we just have got to learn that you don’t spot teams like Centerburg 10 points and expect to win. We can’t put ourselves in a hole and we’ve done that the last couple of games. It like we get down 10 points and, all of a sudden, we act like we have to start playing.”
The Redskins, however, didn’t give up, fighting back to within four midway through the final quarter. Scott Cline (three points) scored inside while teammates Sandman and Justin Dassylva (18 points, 10 rebounds) followed with a bucket each.
“We were never comfortable with a 10-point lead,” said coach Simpson. “We wouldn’t be comfortable with a 20-point lead against these guys, because they are always going to battle back. They’re the type of team that will not give up.”
With the Trojans clinging to a 42-38 margin, Lambert landed a huge 3-pointer that might have taken some of the wind out of Utica’s sails. A pair of Lambert free throws made it a 47-38 Trojan lead with 3:55 to go.
“Brandt had a great game,” said coach Simpson. “Total game. He came to play. This was a challenge for him. He wanted to be on a team that beat Utica and he wanted it pretty badly.”
Once again, however, the Redskins fought their way back into the game.
Dassylva followed a layup with another inside bucket off an offensive board. With less than a minute-and-a-half to play, Harriman grabbed a steal and drove it to the hoop to make it a two-point Centerburg lead.
“Our guys did a good job at the end,” said Sheck. “We put guys in there that could pressure the ball and we forced a couple of turnovers. We just have to do a better job of executing. We’re missing too many open shots. We’re not converting from the foul line. We’re not converting from the field. We’ve just got to do a better job. Our kids are working hard.”
On the next play, Skyler Simpson hit a layup and drew a foul from Sandman, which was his fourth. Sandman fouled Lambert seconds later and fouled out with a little over a minute to go. All Sandman could do was watch from the bench as Lambert hit both free throws to put the Trojans up 51-45, en route to their 57-50 win.
“Everything that we tried, they had a counteract for,” said Jim Simpson. “We just knew that we had to finish it. That’s all. I wasn’t relieved until the buzzer went off.”
The Trojans will host Heath this coming Tuesday, and Utica will travel to Licking Valley for a nonconference game tonight.
