Sports

Longhorns overcome Lakeside to get to AISA state final

February 13, 2014February 13, 2014 Jeremy D. Smith AISA, basketball, boys basketball, Longhorns, MA, Marengo Academy, prep sports

Shade Pritchett drives past a Lakeside defender.

MONTGOMERY — Marengo Academy (16-11) overcame a nine-point deficit and fought its way to a 57-51 semi-final win over Lakeside School Thursday.

Playing primarily without starting point guard Hayden Huckabee in the game’s first half, Marengo took a 13-10 lead out of the first quarter but saw Brody Thomasson shoulder his team as Lakeside opened up a nine-point advantage in the second frame.

Thomasson had 15 of his team’s first 21 points before going down hard in the second quarter. Thomasson left the game and would not return. The complexion of the contest changed in his absence.

Marengo would fall behind 28-19 before Carson Huckabee drained a three-pointer and Anthony Antonelli grabbed a rebound and hit a turn-around put-back to cut the deficit to 28-24 at half.

“I thought we played better defense. They missed a few shots with us playing better defense. We started working the ball around, got Cason involved and got Shade Pritchett involved,” Marengo coach Larry Huckabee said. “It’s hard to defend those two. Cason is so big and so physical for us and Shade is so quick to the goal. We hit some key shots there. I thought they got a little winded right there before the half and that helped us.”

Carson Huckabee watches a three-pointer sail off his fingertips. He had a game high 18 points.

Pritchett and Carson Huckabee took up the offensive load in the second half while Cook banged his way to another double-digit rebounding game to help limit Lakeside’s opportunities. And, while he was limited, Hayden Huckabee took to the floor in the third quarter to help settle the Longhorn offense. His six points, four steals and three assists all came in big spots for Marengo

“He stirs the pot,” Larry Huckabee said of Hayden’s impact on the game. “I know he’s a tenth grader, but still he stirs the pot. He is so hard to steal the ball from. He takes good care of the ball. He’s so quick and he sees the court.”

The Longhorns would lead by as many as 13 in the fourth quarter but the three-point shooting of Lakeside whittled the score all the way down to six before time ran out on the Chiefs.

“I told them all week that they’d rather shoot a three than go inside,” Larry Huckabee said of his decision to go to a 2-3 zone defense in the game’s second half. “I told the boys we were going to sag out on the shooters and that if we could contain them the whole ball game, I thought we could win this thing.”

Cason Cook lines up a free throw. He finished the game with 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Carson Huckabee finished with 18 points while Pritchett had 15 points, six rebounds and four assists. Cook chipped in 12 points and 14 rebounds, four steals and three assists in the game.

The Longhorns knocked down five three-point shots of their own in the game, with four of those coming off the hands of Carson Huckabee. Larry Huckabee indicated the emergence of the three-pointer as part of Marengo’s repertoire has been a key in the team’s playoff run.

“Until about three weeks ago, we weren’t shooting outside very good,” Huckabee said. “Here the last three weeks, we’ve done picked it up.”

Thomasson led Lakeside with 15 while Drew Price added 12 for the Chiefs.

Marengo moves to Friday’s AISA Class A state title game against Chambers Academy, which defeated Edgewood Thursday.