COLONY — It seemed as if a different team showed up in the second half of the Crest High contest against Madison High — a team that could not miss from outside.
“We didn’t look very good in the first half,” head coach Travis Hermreck said. “In the second half, we looked really good.”
The Lancers overcame a first-half deficit to roll over the Bulldogs 62-42.
It seemed as if the game would be no-contest from the start of the first quarter, and not in favor of the Lancers. The Bulldogs were hot in the first, with some key shots from Willie Derryberry and Bryan Frankhauser. They opened the game with an 11-0 run.
Kyle Hammond ended the drought with a 3-pointer with 1:45 remaining in the quarter, Jordan Morton hit another 3-pointer with two seconds left. The second quarter started with the Lancers facing an 18-8 deficit against their opponent.
Things began to look up a bit.
Hammond hit a 3-pointer to start the second quarter, and the game began to pick up in intensity. Jesse Boone took charge underneath to shift the momentum in the home team’s advantage. Some additional shots from Boone and Hammond cut the Bulldog’s lead to 27-20. Hammond ended the half with a strong block against Derryberry just before the buzzer sounded.
Then things got interesting for the Lancers.
To say the third quarter started out hot for Crest would be an understatement. The Lancers went on a 19-0 run to start the second half — it seemed as if they couldn’t miss from outside.
Morton began by hitting from outside, followed by a 3-pointer from Hammond. Austin Green launched one from beyond the line, and nailed it. Then it was off to the races. Brock Ellis had three consecutive scores with a free throw, 2-pointer and 3-pointer, followed by another hit from Morton.
Derryberry hit the first shot for the Bulldogs with 2:24 remaining in the third, on a foul shot. Ed Alvarez hit a 3-pointer for Madison at the end of the quarter to give them their first field goal of the half.
The Lancer had overcome the deficit, and turned it into a lead going into the fourth, 43-31. Hammond hit another 3-pointer to start the final quarter, and Boone drained a long two as well. Energy in the Crest High gym was too much for Madison.
Green hit Hammond with a quick pass underneath for two points on a fast break, which put the Lancers up 60-39. Derryberry hit a 3-pointer, and Hammond responded once more with a long two.
“We are most comfortable when we are running,” Hermreck said. “We run more than any team around, and we like to prove it.”
He said he was proud of his team, due to the fact that the Lancers completely changed their mindset going into the second half — something he said they wouldn’t have been able to do in prior weeks.
Hammond led the scoring with a strong 29-point performance, followed by Jesse Boone with 12 and Brock Ellis with 10.
The Lancers travel to St. Paul on Thursday.
Madison (18-9-4-11—42)
Crest (8-12-29-13—62)
Madison (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Bankson 1-0-1-2, Blubaugh 0/2-0-0-6, Alvarez 0/2-3-3-9, Beyer 4-2-3-10, Derryberry 3/1-1-2-10, Beitz 1/1-0-1-5. TOTALS: 9/6-6-10-42.
Crest (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Boone 6-0-2-12, Green 1/1-0-1-5, Morton 0/2-0-0-6, Hammond 7/5-0-1-29, Ellis 2/1-3-3-10, Brallier 0-0-1-0. TOTALS: 16/9-3-8-62.
Second half propels Crest
