The Lake Orion boys? basketball squad is coming home on a high note.
The Dragons wrapped up a stretch in which they played 10 of 11 games on the road with a 44-39 victory at Rochester Adams in an OAA II contest Thursday night.
Drew Maynard scored a game-high 19 points, including a go-ahead three-pointer early in the fourth quarter that gave Lake Orion the lead for good.
‘The road trip did not start out very well, but our kids are really starting to show some grit,? Lake Orion Coach Jim Manzo said. ‘Like it or not, that’s our kind of score. We need to start defending people to get ready for the (postseason) tournament.?
Anthony Fields added 11 points for the Dragons, and Chris Lum had eight rebounds, seven steals and five assists to go along with two key buckets in the final stanza.
‘A lot of times I just read their eyes,? Lum said of his seven swipes. ‘They were starting to get pretty predictable with their plays and I just tried to bait them.?
The Lake Orion defense forced 24 Adams turnovers, as the Dragons swept the season series and improved to 7-1 in league play.
‘I think our man-to-man defense has gotten a lot better,? Manzo said. ‘Hopefully we can rely on it down the stretch.?
The team went .500 on their road trip and is now 7-7 overall.
‘I feel like we have one of the hardest schedules,? Lum said. ‘We’re a .500 team, but it’s only going to make us better.?
Adams was led by J.D. Osborne’s 15 points.
‘We’ve played this game probably six times this year,? Adams Coach John Hall said.
‘We’ve been right there and played really well with a great effort. We just keep coming up a bit short.?
On Thursday, it was a 9-0 Dragon run to start the fourth quarter that did Hall’s squad in.
Lake Orion battled some foul trouble in the third quarter and overcame a sub-par shooting performance (16-for-48, 33-percent) to get the win.
It was their fourth straight victory over Adams since moving into the OAA II last season.
‘The two schools have a great rivalry across the board,? Hall said. ‘The basketball rivalry has really developed over the last couple of years.?
The team took on Southfield in a key OAA II showdown after this edition went to press, but get the full story at www.lakeorionreview.com.