Lions finish week with a win

Lone Tree snaps three-game slide with 70-39 victory over Highland

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The Lone Tree boys held double-digit leads in each of their first two games this season, but were unable to finish either contest with a victory. 

On Friday, the Lions built a 25-point halftime lead and snapped a three-game losing streak with a 70-39 win over Highland. 

“I was happy the way we bounced back,” Lone Tree coach Tom Squiers said. “Because you just don't know after you drop two close games, how they're going to come out play. But I thought we were good on the defensive end and I thought our passing was really good tonight. I thought we shared the ball well and we knocked down some shots.”

With a 27-13 lead early in the second quarter, the Lions would not allow another field goal in the half. Senior Tyce Alt scored six of his eight points in the second quarter as the Lions built a 41-16 lead. 

“I think we moved the ball pretty well against that zone,” said Alt. “And when we moved the ball, we just put up better shots and we worked well together.”

Highland senior Ethan Paisley scored on a putback to tie the game 7-7 in the first quarter, but Lone Tree would have success on the offensive boards as well. 

Ethan Bockelman’s 3-pointer sparked a 15-0 run that included second-chance buckets from Ethan Willoz, Mitch Koedam, and Braden Viers. Freshman Emmett Burke hit a triple during the first-quarter run as well.

“We did a lot of inside-outside, we got the ball to our post,” Squiers said. “And if they didn't attack the basket, they did a good job of kicking the ball out to our shooters.”

Bockelman hit three shots from outside during the first half. He finished with a game high 15. 

Drew Gauley hit a pair of 3-pointers and finished with eight. Burke and Viers each finished with eight points as well. Taj Williams and Willoz each scored six. 

It was the fourth game in five days for Lone Tree, which included a one-point loss to Columbus. “We had an NBA schedule to start the week off,” Squiers said. And you know, we could just as easily be 3-1 as 1-3.”

Squier said that turnovers have cost the Lions, who blew a 15-point lead to Belle Plaine and a 12-point lead at Columbus. 

“It's one thing really stressed in the only practice we had on Wednesday — taking care of the basketball, valuing the basketball,” Squiers said. “And I thought we did a lot better job of that tonight.”

The Huskies tripled their offensive output from the first game of the season, led by junior Logan Bonebrake with 10 points. 

“I think in our first game, we never got the ball reversed one time,” Highland coach Bill Zywiec said. “And in the first half today, I don't think we got the ball reversed very often. That’s what we talked about at halftime. If you want to score, we’ve got to get that ball moving around. 

“And I thought we did a better job in the second half of looking to run the offense even though we didn't make all the shots we'd like to make.”

Bonebrake scored six points during a 10-1 run in the third quarter. Nicolas Oriano scored seven points and Tyler Thompson added five. Freshman Bryce Hazelett had Highland’s first 3-point field goal of the season and finished with five as well. 

Zywiec reminded his young team after the game that the season is just two games old. 

“No one wants a state championship in two games,” he said. So our goal is to continue to improve a little bit each week and keep working on the things that we need to do in order to be successful.”