For the 4th year in a row Lancaster has won their annual Tipoff Tournament with an impressive 54-24 win over Depew. Lancaster started the game a little slow and starters Channing Francis and Jack Harrington each picked up 2 quick fouls forcing Coach Otto to adjust his game plan. The Legends did not skip a beat though with players like Eric Frys, Jake Sarnowski, Matt Mazur and Ryan Corcoran coming off the bench and providing Lancaster with a much needed spark after the slow start. Joe Harrington scored 9 points in the 1st quarter which ended with Lancaster holding a 18-9 lead.
The 2nd quarter saw little scoring as both teams played solid defense. Guards Noah Kimble and Ryan Andolina were pestering Depew ball handlers leading to a number of turnovers while Joe H., Mazur and Frys were having a block party inside the paint with 4 blocks in the quarter. The Legends went into halftime leading 28-15.
The story in the 2nd half was much the same as Lancaster's defense led the way. The defense, which has been their strongest part so far this season, held Depew to just 9 points in the half. The players fed off the very loud Lancaster student section and had Depew players rattled, forcing a number of turnovers and shot clock violations. After sitting out most of the 1st half with 2 fouls Francis returned to the court and put on a show in the 3rd quarter with a number of steals and breakaways. Behind suffocating defense, the Legends were once again raising the championship trophy at the end winning 54-24.
Much like the first game of the season, this was a solid team performance. The Legends got scoring from 8 different players, but every player who stepped on the floor made contributions to the team win. It must be a nice feeling for Coach Otto to be able to look down his bench and have complete confidence in his players, knowing whoever he puts in will give everything they have. Joe Harrington took home tournament MVP as he scored 19 points and 3 blocks in the game. Kimble was named to the All-Tournament Team as he again filled up the stat sheet with 7 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Francis had 9 points and 3 steals. Frys had 6 points and 2 blocks. Mazur had 5 points 5 rebounds and 3 blocks. Gabryszak had 4 points, Corcoran and Andolina each had 2 points to round out the scoring. The Legends next game is 12/8 against Amherst @ Java Gym.
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