Raiders push No. 1 Calumet in championship game defeat

Defeat brought with it marked improvement for the Lomega Raiders.

Top-ranked Calumet defeated Lomega 62-52 Saturday in the boys championship game of the Canton Invitational.

The 10-point loss was decidedly better than on Nov. 14 when the Chieftains thumped Lomega 76-46 on the Raiders’ home court.

“We handled their pressure a lot better this time and I thought we really worked hard defensively,” said Raider coach Justin Edsall.

The defense picked up for teams after the first quarter, one that saw Calumet lead 24-21.

Neither team scored more than 15 points in a quarter the rest of the way.

Calumet built its lead up to 10 points by halftime and 13 by the end of the third.

However, unlike that first meeting, the undefeated Chieftains never pulled away.

Ben Marsh was among those keeping the Raiders in it.

The junior led Lomega with 18 points in what was a stellar tournament. He scored 31 in each the quarterfi nals and semifinals.

The latter helped Lomega outscore Crescent 80-63 on Friday.

Marsh was in a scoring duel with the Tigers’ Colby Watson, who scored 28.

Watson had 10 in the second quarter as the Tigers took a 39-33 advantage.

But Marsh and Chase Burton each scored 10 in the third as Lomega went on a 30-7 run.

Burton scored 18 while Lance Yost added 11 and Trevor Lentz 10.

In the championship, Yost and Jaxson Snowden scored 12 apiece for the Raiders, who had won four straight since that loss to Calumet.

Burton, Marsh and Yost were named to the all-tournament team.

Lomega entered this week with a 5-4 record.