Lehman’s zone defense was whirring like a fine-tuned machine in the first quarter, impeding Akins from running its offense.
Akins struggled to attempt shots, much less score, and Lehman capitalized on the opposition’s confusion by building a 10-point lead midway through the period.
Lehman led 13-6 after the first quarter, while the Eagles could only muster up six shots.
By the end of the fourth quarter, Akins wrestled back control of the game by cutting down on its mistakes and finding the open crevices in Lehman’s zone defense. In turn, Lehman walked off its home court Tuesday night with a 39-32 loss to Akins.
“We were in control of the game and our guys kept forcing shots and turning the ball over and it’s just gradual,” said Coach Mike Whitten.
Lehman’s Cameron Jones missed a free throw that would have tied the game at 33 with 1:25 left in the game and an ill-advised cross-court pass from Tracy Malrey led to more free throws for Akins.
While the Lobos floundered at the free throw line in the waning moments, the Eagles iced the game with six consecutive completed free throws.
“We just didn’t make free throws when it counts,” Whitten said. “We were getting fouled, which is exactly what we wanted, and we missed. That’s pretty much what happened the entire game. We gave it up because we didn’t hit free throws.”
Lehman held a share of the lead for the first 25 minutes until Akins converted a go-ahead 3-pointer with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. It was the Eagles’ first lead of the entire game.
The Lobos’ loss Tuesday night is a cautionary tale for a team that heads to its fourth matchup against Bowie Friday night. Bowie has beaten Lehman three times this season by an average of 31 points per game.
“We have to show up every night,” Whitten said. “We lost focus tonight and it cost us.”
