By Moses Leos III.
Turnovers and fouls doomed Lehman boys basketball, as they fell 48-42 to the Vandegrift Vipers Monday.
Lehman’s woes started early with seven turnovers in the first quarter, 12 in the first half, and 25 for the game.
Lehman’s struggles were Vandegrift’s gain, as the Vipers jumped to a 12-9 advantage early.
| Lehman’s Zack Flores attempts to put up a shot between Vandegrift Viper defenders in Monday afternoon’s game. Turnovers and fouls proved costly, as Lehman fell to the Vipers 48-42. (Photo by Cyndy Slovak-Barton) |
Three-point shooting helped Vandegrift take the lead, and continued in the second quarter, as guard Ryan Brewster hit a three-pointer to give the Vipers a 15-9 lead. Brewster finished with eight points.
Lehman tried to counter the Vipers’ three-point attack by defending the perimeter.
Lehman post Kraig Shields said the adjustment proved too successful. Vandegrift drove the lane, forcing the Lobos to defend Vandegrift’s guards in the paint.
“If we switched, it created mismatches,” senior guard J.R. Torres said. “It was hard to guard [their dribble drive].”
Vandegrift took a 20-13 lead before Lehman rallied. Junior Rey Gonzales closed the half by scoring the final five points, pulling the Lobos to 21-18.
Lehman then increased its energy and tempo, taking their first lead with 4:40 in the third. Torres drilled home a left wing trey, giving Lehman a 28-27 lead. Torres finished the game with 15 points.
A late quarter rim-rocking alley-oop from Gonzales to Shields tied the game at 30-30. Lehman entered the fourth with a 34-33 lead. Shields finished with 10 points on the day.
Foul trouble bit the Lobos in the second half. Lehman committed 17 fouls in the final 16 minutes, going into the double bonus with 6:47 in the game.
Vandegrift used its aggressive style to hit the rim, scoring both on the floor and on the foul line. Zach Hartman, who scored 10 points, led the Viper offense.
Head coach Thomas Acker was disappointed in his team’s inability to limit aggressive play.
“We have got to do something to stop fouling,” Acker said. “A part of it was [Vandegrift] being aggressive. We are also not doing a good job at adjusting to the way the game is called.”
Turnovers were the story of the game but Lehman kept close, trailing 40-39 late in the fourth.
But with 90 seconds left, Vandegrift’s Davis Florence transitioned a Lehman turnover, knocked down a layup, while being intentionally fouled by Shields.
The three-point swing killed Lehman’s momentum.
Lehman will play Akins at 7 p.m. Dec. 3.
