Inexperienced Lions open season vs Keota

Lone Tree falls 61-34 in season opener

By Jeff Yoder
Posted 12/18/20

Going two weeks without a game or a practice isn’t ideal for any basketball team, but it was especially problematic for a Lone Tree team looking to replace all five starters this year.

While …

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Inexperienced Lions open season vs Keota

Lone Tree falls 61-34 in season opener

Posted

Going two weeks without a game or a practice isn’t ideal for any basketball team, but it was especially problematic for a Lone Tree team looking to replace all five starters this year.

While the Lions were playing a season opener on Thursday, Keota brought a six-game winning streak to Lone Tree.

The Lions trailed just 10-6 as the final seconds of the first quarter ticked off, but a buzzer-beating three started a 12-0 run for Keota, who went on to win 61-34.

“Keota has got a nice team. But I think you can tell that we were only on five days of practice,” Lone Tree coach Tom Squiers said.

“And that's the way it is. You’ve got to play some time, and I think we'll learn a lot from this game.”

Aiden Forbes was 4-9 from the field to lead the Lions with nine points and nine rebounds. Cade Patterson had seven points and five rebounds, while Cade Shield finished with seven points and four rebounds.

Four players made a 3-pointer for Lone Tree, but the Lions shot just 9-32 from inside the arc and turned the ball over 25 times.

Luke Hammen led Keota with 20 points and 14 rebounds. 

The Lions were unable to play or practice during the two weeks of online classes. The team practiced for the first time on Saturday.

“You’ve just got to kind of go with the flow,” Squiers said. “I mean, there's really nothing you can do about it.

The Lions were active defensively, forcing 19 Keota turnovers. Patterson, Shield, Adam Knock and Drew Gaulley each had three steals. Alex Viner had three assists and a pair of steals.

Lone Tree graduated six seniors that accounted for nearly 84 percent of the team’s scoring from last season and Squiers expects it to take a little time for his inexperienced lineup to reach its potential.

“I thought we played hard,” he said. “I think I think we'll be OK, as long as we keep practicing and playing. As the season goes along, I just think we're going to get better.”