Lake Orion Boys? Basketball Coach Jim Manzo shared a laugh with a Detroit sports legend after his team’s game Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, it was the legend, former Piston sharpshooter and current team President Joe Dumars, doing most of the smiling.
Dumars? son, Jordan, hit nine three-pointers, including five in the first 4:15 to help Detroit Country Day to a 70-59 win over visiting Lake Orion.
‘The game plan was to make them shoot from the outside,? Manzo said. ‘We did not plan on them hitting eight three’s in a row at one point. I just expressed my displeasure to him (Joe) as well.?
Still, Manzo had nothing to be too disappointed about, as his squad battled back from both 15- and 21-point holes and hung around with perhaps the state’s best team, cutting the deficit to six with 2:30 to play. Fittingly, it was another Dumars three, with 1:37 left, that put the final dagger in the comeback bid.
‘That’s the way we envisioned our team playing,? Manzo said. ‘That was a measuring stick and I think our kids measured up pretty well. I was proud of the way we competed.?
‘We missed some early shots and they made every one of them,? he added of Country Day’s 17-2 start. ‘We outscored them the rest of the way.?
Country Day Coach Kurt Keener said his team was fortunate to make the most of their open looks in the early going.
‘The type of zone they were playing leaves shooters open in the corner,? Keener said. ‘They made the decision that they weren’t going to let us pound it inside with our size, so they were going to play a pretty compact zone and (Dumars) is a pretty good stationary shooter.?
The story of the younger Dumars? day was actually overshadowed by LO’s Drew Maynard, who hit eight treys of his own en route to a game-high 37 points.
‘He’s an offensive machine and when he gets in his comfort zone he can make some ungodly shots,? said Keener.
Maynard’s reverse dunk with 4:34 to go in the game brought the crowd, which featured a large Lake Orion contingent, to its feet.
‘They’re the defending state champs (in Class B). I came in here and had fun and felt like I had something to prove,? said Maynard, who has played against many of the Country Day players over the years. ‘I’ve known Jordan Dumars since I was little and we were laughing about hitting all of those threes.?
Anthony Fields added 13 points and seven assists for Lake Orion, while Darnell Brown and Donnavan Kirk had 12 and 11, respectively, for the hosts. It was Kirk’s first game in a Country Day uniform after transferring from Notre Dame Prep.
Country Day improved to 8-2 on the season, while Lake Orion fell to 6-7. Six of the Dragons? seven losses, however, have come in non-league games, as the team has played one of the toughest non-league schedules in the state.
‘I think the kids understand why we’re playing these games,? Manzo said. ‘It’s got to do us some good at the end of the year.?
‘Our two goals are still out there,? he added. ‘We can still win the league and we can still win the district.?
The team’s 48-27 win over Rochester earlier last week brought their mark in OAA II play to 6-1. Maynard scored 20, Fields had 12 and Jeff Heath added nine in that win.
‘We’re 0-6 in these (non-league) games, but we’re still in first place in the league,? noted Maynard. ‘That’s the important thing, winning the league.?
The next week will determine a lot for the team, as they travel to Rochester Adams on Thursday and host Southfield next Tuesday.
Stay up-to-date with the team at www.lakeorionreview.com.