Lomega Keys in on 3rd place
Lady Raider run wraps up another 2-win trip at Bertha Teague
LOMEGA SENIOR Aliana Lawson takes a shot in the paint against Keys in the third-place game. Lawson scored 15 points and had 7 rebounds and 7 steals to go with it while earning a spot on the all-tournament team. [Photo by Russell Stitt/www.stitt.smugmug.co
Heading into last Wednesday’s third-place game of the 48th Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic, coach Kevin Lewallen wasn’t worried about how his team would bounce back from its first loss.
His Lady Raiders were handily defeated 61-34 on Tuesday by eventual tournament champ Washington, which put them into Wednesday’s matchup against 3A’s eighth-ranked Keys.
Lewallen had watched Kingfisher defeat Keys, but was well aware of one of the strengths of the Lady Cougars.
They were quite physical.
“We definitely want to win,” Lewallen said. “But I also want to make sure we get out of here without getting anyone hurt.”
Turns out you can’t hurt what you can’t catch.
Lomega found its offensive rhythm for a long enough stretch in the third quarter to turn a close game into a blowout in an eventual 48-36 victory.
It’s the fifth straight time Lomega has won at least two games at the Bertha Teague.
The Lady Raiders were also third in 2012 and 2021 and were consolation champs in 2013 and 2016 all under Lewallen.
“Our defense was really good,” Lewallen said. “But our offense finally came around in the third quarter and we just looked better overall.”
Lomega’s defense was good.
Keys managed just four first-half field goals as the Lady Raiders staked a 23-14 advantage.
Reagan Snowden provided the offense with 12 first-half points.
Keys made a run to start the third quarter and pulled within 25-23 with 4:43 to go in the frame.
Then Lomega turned it on.
The Lady Raiders closed on a 16-2 run with Aliana Lawson pouring in 10 of those points.
That pushed Lomega to a 41-25 lead and eventually the lead surpassed 20 points in the third.
Although Keys got “better” offensively in the second half, the Lady Cougars couldn’t keep up.
Overall, they shot 26.1 percent (12 of 46), which included a 3 of 16 clip (18.8 percent) from 3-point range.
Lomega shot 40.8 percent (20 of 49).
Defense led to a lot of that offense as Lomega accumulated 17 steals.
Lawson led the way with 7 while Snowden and Paige Wheeler had 5 apiece.
Snowden eventually led the team with 16 points and 8 rebounds.
Lawson finished with 15 points and 7 boards.
Both were named to the all-tournament team.
Lomega got 6 each from Wheeler and Hadley Ott.
The Lady Raiders took away a big part of Keys’ game by shutting off the lane.
Kinsley Fisher played a role in that as she had 2 points, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Keys was led by Kenlee Comer and Paizlee Zodrow, who scored 9 apiece.
Lomega, ranked No. 1 in B-II, was 13-1 after the victory.