COMEBACK DENIED

What were Lomega’s chances against Okarche if its two leading scorers fouled out in the latest version of their storied rivalry?

“Not good,” said Lady Raider coach Kevin Lewallen.

Yet that was the case last Friday as Abby Swart and Darcy Roberts had to watch the closing minutes from the bench.

They liked what they saw as a largely young group of Lady Raiders helped hold the lead in what turned into a 65-59 victory.

It was Lomega’s first win in the series since 2017.

Okarche had won three straight, including last year’s overtime victory that snapped a 56-game win streak for Lomega.

This was Lomega’s first trip to Okarche’s new gym as the first scheduled meeting there in 2020 was canceled due to COVID.

For a better part of the first half, it appeared this meeting would go the way of the last three.

Tyson Endres, Emma Stover and Jadyn Rother combined to score all of Okarche’s points as it got out to an 18-11 lead.

Swart helped keep Lomega in it with eight second- quarter points, but Okarche still led by six at halftime.

That’s when the game changed.

Swart stayed hot while Roberts heated up as the Lady Raiders outscored Okarche 21-7 to flip the game.

Roberts had just two points at halftime, but scored 12 in the third. Swart added seven more.

All the while, Lewallen tried to keep fresh legs on the floor with a heavy rotation of 10 Lady Raiders.

“I think our depth really helped us,” Lewallen said. “I think we wore them down a little.”

It also became necessary.

Kate Myers put Lomega up 61-48 with a pair of free throws with 3:55 to play.

Roberts fouled out 28 seconds later.

Then, at the 2:18 mark, Swart was finished when she fouled Ruby Vandendriessche.

Though she missed the free throw, Vandendreissche pulled Okarche within 61-53 in making the shot.

It was part of a 9-0 Okarche run.

Stover got the Lady Warriors within 61-57 with 1:10 left and the Lady Warriors had their chances to get closer.

After Lomega missed two free throws on the other end, Stover missed a shot with just under a minute to play. Vandendriessche also missed a pair of foul shots at the 36-second mark.

Both opportunities would have pulled the Lady Warriors within a possession.

Hadley Ott ended Okarche’s run with two free throws and Okarche didn’t get closer than four points in the final seconds.

“We turned it over too much and missed too many free throws down the stretch,” Lewallen said. “But we played hard the entire time.”

The steadying force was Sydni Walker.

The senior continually pulled down rebounds and made Okarche life tough in the paint.

She scored at the final buzzer to give her 10 points. She also had 14 rebounds and six blocks.

“Her defense, especially in the second half, was really good,” Lewallen said.

Stover led all scorers with 24 points. Rother scored 15 and Endres nine as Okarche dropped to 1-2 on the season.

Lomega improved to 3-0.

Swart led the team with 17 points. She scored 15 of them in the second and third quarters, including all four of her 3-pointers.

Roberts added 14 and Myers scored nine.

Myers, a sophomore, was one of several underclassmen, many of them freshmen, who Lewallen depended on often, especially late.

“We played a lot of the fourth quarter with four freshmen on the floor,” he said. “That was good experience for them because there are going to be other times this season when we need them.”

Warriors picking up steam, roll Lomega

Often times, Aaron West was on the wrong end of a lopsided Okarche victory over Lomega.

The former Lomega boys coach never beat his father - the late Ray West - when they went head to head.

Now the younger West is in charge of his alma mater and on Friday led his Warriors to a second straight win, 83-34, over the visiting Raiders.

“I’ve been there many times in the past thanks to my dad,” said West, recalling some of his losses as the Raider boss. “He never took it easy on me.”

Okarche handed Lomega its first loss of the season by dominating the second half.

Already up by 13 at halftime, the Warriors outscored their guest 46-10 in the final 16 minutes.

Lomega shot just 19 percent from the field in the second half, including 1 of 11 (9 percent) from 3-point range.

Okarche knocked down eight 3-pointers in the final frames and 11 for the game.

Jett Mueggenborg and Easton Roby made three apiece and were two of four Warriors to score in double figures.

Mueggenborg led all scorers with 17 points. Roby added 13.

Wyatt Pinkerton, who had two 3-pointers, added 12 points as did P.K. Harris, who added a team-high eight rebounds.

Brooks Uhlenhake led Lomega (2-1) with eight points.

Kelby Ott and Lance Yost scored six apiece.

The Raiders’ numerous turnovers led to 36 Okarche points.

“The guys played really hard,” said West, whose team is also 2-1. “They’re starting to gain some confi dence.”