Raiders revenge satiated

A packed gym set the stage for the Midway and Lakewood boys as an intense game was sure to transpire. The Raiders came in hungry for revenge as it was the Leopards that had handed them their first loss of the season a week earlier. At the end of the night, that’s precisely what happened as Midway came away with victory, winning 48-41.

The Raiders got off to a fiery start, hitting on three pointers by Travis Gist and Tripp Westbrook. Factor in a made free throw and another Midway basket, the Raiders led 9-2 early. Deshaun Carr accounted for the Leopards early points, which stood at 9-3 at the 5:00 mark. The teams exchanged jabs and with 3:00 left in the quarter, Midway still led 12-5 with possession. A few moments later, the Raider lead reached 14-5, producing a timeout from Lakewood with 2:14 left in the quarter. At the end of the quarter, Midway led, 15-7.

A Lakewood turnover kicked off the second period and an empty possession on the other end was the product of the first minute of the quarter. The Raiders used a fast-break offense to beat the Leopards’ press and tacked on a bucket, making it a double-digit advantage at 17-7. That process was repeated moments later as the lead hit 19-7. A three-pointer by Jaziah Brunson finally got Lakewood on the board in the second with nearly half the period gone. With 4:07 on the clock, Midway called for timeout, leading 19-10. Down the stretch, an ugly quality of basketball was played but the Leopards hit a 6-1 run to trim the deficit to 20-16 at the break.

Dueling three-balls kicked off the start of the second half as the game had drawn close again. Neither offense was entirely effective throughout much of the quarter, but Lakewood caught fire down the stretch and surged past the Raiders to stake a 31-27 lead headed to the fourth quarter.

Back-to-back buckets by Westbrook kicked off the fourth period, yielding a tie score and a Lakewood timeout. A basket by Wyatt Herring put the Raiders back on top at 33-31 with 5:07 left. From there, Midway had responded to Lakewood’s rally and led 38-32 with 3:55 left in the game. Down the stretch, the Raiders maintained their advantage and hung on for the victory, winning 48-41

Statistical leaders for the Leopards were Carr with 15 points followed by Cameron Williams with 11 points.

For Midway, they were led by Westbrook with 14 points, seven rebounds, and seven blocks. Anthony Graham recorded a double-double for the Raiders, scoring 15 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Kemari McNeil chipped in 10 points, six rebounds, and five Assists

Midway is now 4-2 on the year and will travel over to Hobbton on Monday. For Lakewood, they will take on East Columbus on Wednesday and host Clinton on Friday.