Lancers can't adjust in time
On Saturday, Lake Park's youthful boys basketball team learned a lesson on how to finish a game strong.
Unfortunately for the host Lancers they learned it from the wrong side of the scoreboard as nonconference foe Proviso West rallied to win 50-49 in Roselle.
Negating a 5-point Lake Park lead after three quarters, Melvin Rowe's 3-point shot from the right wing with 1:12 left was the game-winner, the Panthers' first lead since early in the first quarter.
"At the end of the game, we went into a zone," said Proviso West coach Tommie Miller. "They didn't know how to adjust to it -- they didn't have enough time to adjust to it. And the kids just kept pushing the ball. They never quit."
Lake Park (5-10) took two timeouts to plan a winning shot, the last with 4.9 seconds left after miscommunication botched a set play.
Proviso West (3-9) deflected the final pass inside to Lancers center George Manos, and the ball ended up in the hands of Proviso's Rob Covington as time expired.
"We were too anxious, too tense," said Michael Pavone, whose 16 points led Lake Park. "We panicked at the end."
Cool as cucumbers early, the Lancers' inside-outside approach benefited the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Manos and 6-5 guard Pavone.
Lake Park led 20-15 at the end of the first quarter and 30-22 at halftime. Proviso West shot just 7 of 22 to Lake Park's 14-of-24 shooting.
"They're athletic, like we knew," said Manos, who had 14 points with 8 rebounds. "They got some blocked shots on us quick, but I still think that we executed pretty well until the end."
Proviso West junior Dionta Moore erupted in the third quarter with 4 steals and 7 of his 11 points to cut the deficit to 37-36 at 2:20 of the third.
Lake Park junior guard Danny Baylis' fastbreak basket and putback gave Lake Park a 41-36 edge entering the fourth quarter, but a 9-4 Proviso West run tied the score at 45-45 with 2:30 to play.
Manos and Moore traded baskets before Manos gave Lake Park its last lead, 49-47 with 1:34 left.
Covington's 18 points led all scorers. Baylis had 12 for Lake Park, which was hurt by 3-of-12 free-throw shooting.
Lancers coach Cray Allen, continually trying to develop chemistry, went nine deep into his young bench but came away disappointed for his hard-working seniors.
"We're still trying to figure out who the leaders on the team are," Allen said. "We've got a couple, but we need a couple younger kids to step up and really learn how to close out games."