Eldridge, Antioch ace Lakes' challenge
The best shot-maker in Lakes gym on Friday night bounced happily on the court and waved to the fans after her school gave her the honor of unveiling a wall sign of her in action on another court. It hung high above the bleachers, left of the American flag behind the south-end backboard.
Antioch basketball player Gavin Eldridge made shots of his own, especially in the fourth quarter, as the visiting Sequoits held off the host Eagles to win the opening game in this season's crosstown rivalry.
On a night Lakes honored 2019 state-champion tennis player Megan Heuser at halftime, it was Antioch that aced the home team. The Sequoits won the Northern Lake County Conference game 52-38 in front of a large-and-loud crowd that's typical for the game between the two District 117 schools.
Eldridge scored 11 of his game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter. He sat out most of the third after picking up his third foul early in the second half.
"It's tough sitting on the sideline during this game," Eldridge said. "You just want to be out there so bad. The environment is crazy."
Kobe Kriese added 15 points for Antioch (9-7, 2-2), which led most of night, including 26-13 at halftime. Tylor Gunther scored 12 points on four 3-pointers for Lakes (6-14, 2-3), and Branden Nava had 7.
"We didn't start off strong enough," said Eagles guard Jake Sanders, who had 6 points and 2 steals. "We were a little timid, just didn't bring the energy that we should have brought that we usually bring."
Antioch led 31-19 late in the third quarter, but a Gunther 3-pointer started a 10-0 run that carried into the fourth. The Sequoits went nearly five minutes without scoring a point. They were outscored 13-5 in the third.
"We haven't had a quarter where we've been in single digits for quite some time," Antioch coach Tim Bowen said. "Everything was a whistle. Even the kids from Lakes were joking with us that it was going to be a five-hour game at this rate. We just couldn't get anything going."
When Gunther buried a left-corner 3 with a defender in his face with 5:14 left in the fourth, Lakes was within 35-34. But Eldridge answered by drawing a foul and making 2 free throws, before scoring on a drive. Eldridge scored on another aggressive drive later in the quarter.
"Gavin does that a lot," Bowen said of his 6-foot-4 senior guard/forward. "Gavin is a really solid basketball player. He could play for anybody. Great leader."
Antioch finished the game with a 17-4 run, hitting several clutch free throws. Jared Wolf chipped in 10 points (two 3-pointers), and Athan Kaliakmanis grabbed 11 rebounds for the Sequoits, who went 13 of 15 from the stripe in the fourth.
"Everyone was really contributing tonight," Eldridge said. "When they have to guard us all over the court, it's easy to score."
Despite the outcome, Sanders, a junior and varsity rookie for the Eagles, enjoyed his first Antioch-Lakes game.
"It was awesome," Sanders said. "I loved the crowd. I love games like that where it's loud, exciting. I've been preparing all day for it. I was just locked in all day, and I knew that we all wanted this win really bad."