KINNIKINNICK — The Washington Blue Lions opened the 2019-20 basketball season taking part in the Zane Trace Tip-Off Classic Friday afternoon.
The opponent, the always-tough Logan Elm Braves.
The Braves displayed their three-point shooting prowess, draining 13 treys as Logan Elm posted a 64-30 victory.
Eight different players hit three-point field goals for Logan Elm and 10 total players contributed to the point total.
Isaac Ward led Logan Elm with 13 points, including three threes. He was named his team’s MVP.
Gabe Chalfin scored 12 (two threes) and Jason Sailor scored eight (hitting one three).
For the Blue Lions, Tanner Lemaster led with 12 points.
Trevor Rarick scored nine points (with one three-point basket) and was named the Blue Lions’ Most Valuable Player.
Drew Moats scored four, Trevin Brown and Ethan Rogers-Wright both scored two and Mitch Lotz scored one.
“We knew they were going to come in and probably play zone,” Logan Elm head coach Doug Stiverson said. “So, we were prepared for that. We’ve got to shoot the three. We’ve shot it pretty well in the preseason. That’s something that we’re going to have to rely on. You know the old saying, you live by (the three) and you die by it. Tonight we were pretty good.”
Ball movement was key, Stiverson said.
“We did a really good job of moving the ball, whether they were set in their defense or not set, we didn’t hold it,” Stiverson said. “We did a good job of moving it. We didn’t just throw it around the perimeter, we got to the paint and got some easy ones inside. We were also able to kick it out and get some threes that way.”
Defensive intensity kept the Blue Lions from getting into an offensive flow, Stiverson noted.
“I was really proud of our defensive intensity,” Stiverson said. “We started a little slow but we picked it up. We got the tempo the way we wanted it.
“The good thing is, I feel we still can improve,” Stiverson said. “The intensity was there and they played extremely hard on the defensive end.”
“I think we ran into a juggernaut tonight,” Washington head coach Connor Scott said. “They were just so well-prepared. I would argue that they only made two or three (threes) that were uncontested. They were making them from NBA range.
“I saw some things that encouraged me,” Scott said. “We were down by (22) at halftime. Our kids didn’t quit. They were not negative in the locker room. We came out in the second half and played better, got better. We grew as a team.
“We have five guys on the court, four of which had never started a varsity game in their lives,” Scott said. “And then we’re bringing three guys off the bench who’ve never played in a varsity game.
“Hats off to Logan Elm,” Scott said. “They are an incredible team.”
The Blue Lions hit the first two buckets of the game for an early 4-0 lead.
Logan Elm connected on five threes in the first quarter to take an 18-6 lead.
Logan Elm stretched out its lead in the second quarter, hitting three additional threes and taking a 34-12 lead into the locker room.
The Braves added on to their lead in the third quarter, going in front by as many as 31 points before Lemaster scored near the end of the period, setting the score at 51-22.
Logan Elm led by as many as 33 points in the fourth quarter, pulling their starters from the game with three minutes remaining.
Trevin Brown hit the final basket of the game for the Blue Lions.
Logan Elm is at Westfall Tuesday evening.
The Blue Lions are home against Westfall Saturday with the j-v game at 6 p.m.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
W 6 6 10 8 — 30
LE 18 16 17 13 — 64
WASHINGTON — Karson Runk 0-0-0; Brice Cartwright 0-0-0; Drew Moats 2-0-4; Trevin Brown 1-0-2; Clayton Howland 0-0-0; Mitch Lotz 0-1-1; Stone Dubois 0-0-0; Calum Brown 0-0-0; Titus Lotz 0-0-0; Tanner Lemaster 5-2-12; Ethan Rogers-Wright 1-0-2; Trevor Rarick 3 (1)-0-9; Noah Hicks 0-0-0. TOTALS — 12 (1) 3-30. Free throw shooting: 3 of 4 for 75 percent. Three-point field goal: Rarick.
LOGAN ELM — Xavier Kellough 0 (1)-0-3; Jeremy Wieterman 0 (2)-0-6; Luke Baldwin 2 (1)-0-7; Isaac Ward 1 (3)-2-13; Brayton Baker 0-0-0; Jason Sailor 2 (1)-1-8; Trace Smith 0 (2)-0-6; Gabe Chalfin 2 (2)-2-12; Jared Harrington 2-0-4; David Harden 0-0-0; Tanner Hobart 0 (1)-0-3; Tyler Baer 1-0-2. TOALS — 10 (13)-5-64. Free throw shooting: 5 of 7 for 71 percent. Three-point field goals: Ward, 3; Wieterman, 2; Smith, 2; Chalfin, 2; Kellough, Baldwin, Sailor, Hobart.
