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Wildcats fill empty plate with pair of wins
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Published: November 25, 2009
Depending on which fork used, Lake Norman High's varsity boys basketball team either takes a clean plate into this week's Thanksgiving holiday break or one that is already full.
The Wildcats, with a host of returning players – including the entire starting five – from last season's school single-season record breaking roster, improved to the 2-0 mark that they will take with them into an extended idle period following a rousing success of their home debut earlier this week.
Kicking their preferred get-it-and-go style of play in gear right from the start, the hosts busted out to a 14-2 lead in the opening quarter and never looked back in free-wheeling their way past out-classed – literally – visiting in-county foe South Iredell, 85-44, in the LNHS gym.
Prior to that rout, Lake Norman was only slightly more convincing but, in the end, equally if not even more impressive in fast-breaking its way past host and reigning state 3A class runner-up Forestview High, 69-53, in both teams' regular season opener late last week.
Combined, and with relative ease the Wildcats breeze their way into the more than week-long break from the court owners of that unbeaten mark that, again depending on point of view, either has them holding a clean plate or one filled with nothing but wins.
At home to mark the team's first showing of the season, it provided plenty of ammunition for the homestanding student body crowd self-nicknamed "The Distraction" to throw across the court at a slightly smaller gathering of fans following South Iredell.
The home team used its fast start to steam roll its way out to a sizable, 29-8 lead at the close of the opening period alone, one in which the host Vikings called a pair of their allotted time-outs just to try and slow down the damage. It didn't work.
Lake Norman added to its command over the course of each of the first three periods to build the game's largest bulge, one that was only cut into during the final frame.
The verdict came complete with a couple of firsts for the program as well.
In addition to accounting for the initial win in as many tries at home, the decision also allowed the current newly-anointed 4A class crew to remain unbeaten, doing so at the expense of 2A class entry South Iredell in the season's only regularly-scheduled session between the two rivals. As a result, it shouldered Lake Norman with its second sweep of a short-season series in as many appearances so far this early season.
In posting the win, a balanced scoring charge on the part of the home team resulted in as many as 13 of the 14 players seeing ample court time contributing to the scoring column. Of that group, a trio hit the double-digit mark.
Senior guard Reggie Price snared team and game-high scoring accolades with his 17 points to top the victorious troops. Also for the Wildcats, center Paul Larsen overcome foul trouble to finish with 13 points, while reserve inside post player Chris Patterson chipped in with his 12 points off the bench. Of the others adding to the point production, all but three did so with outputs of three points or more each.
Late last week, at Forestview in a game designated as an endowment affair, it was Lake Norman that also gained benefits from the results. It pitted a Lake Norman team that made it as far as the third round of the 3A class playoffs during a storied 25-2 run a year ago against a Forestview squad that made it all the way to the 3A class finals before finishing second in the state.
As it turned out, it was the Wildcats who showed more signs of not missing a beat.
Placing four players in the twin-digit scoring column, the guests won three of the four quarter-by-quarter scoring battles and forged a tie in the only one they didn't win to register the opening win.
The visitors started fast to conjure up a 15-5 lead through one full period of play. LNHS followed up the preserving of that 10-point lead in place at the intermission break – at 33-23 – by piling on cushions of three points apiece in both the third and fourth periods to fashion the final 16-point winning margin.
In so doing, balanced scoring proved to be a key factor. The quartet comprised of Price, Matt Eller, Matt Denyes and Brian Whalen all reached the double-digit department to help highlight a total of seven players notching points of some sort. Price and Eller co-shared team-high honors with 17 points apiece, while the duo of Denyes and Whalen each hit for 11 points.
For the game, Lake Norman connected on half of its 18 three-point shots to display its diversity in scoring ability.
Lake Norman is idle over the extended Thanksgiving holiday break before getting back into play with a visit to fellow in-county and former same-conference foe Statesville early next week, it accounting for the first of three games on tap for the Wildcats within a busy four-day span.
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