Chieftains capture a win over Bears, fall to Raiders

By Ginna Young

Lake Holcombe split a pair of games for the basketball program, going up against strong league opponents.

Dec. 19 vs. Clayton non-conference (W 53-47)

Traveling to Clayton, to begin the week, the Chieftains knew it would be a battle right from the beginning, so much so, that the teams were nearly deadlocked going into halftime. The game was even closer in the second part of the game, but Lake Holcombe was determined and came away with a 53-47 victory.

“It was a great win on the road,” said coach Joy Webster.

Junior Brian Strzok led with 16 points, 13 rebounds and 4 steals, while senior Trent Nitek added 7 rebounds and 2 points. Junior Ryley Craker had a solid night, with 10 points and 5 steals, with senior Taye Yeager also coming up with 10 points, while junior Chase Burgess was close behind with 8.

Freshman Emmit Johson had 7 points off the bench.

Dec. 21 vs. Bruce conference (L 77-65)

The Chieftains then played host to Bruce, which came down to the wire.

“For all those in attendance they were given a hardfought battle from both teams,” said Webster.

Bruce went into halftime with a 10-point lead, but Lake Holcombe refused to go down without a fight, cutting the deficit to just one point, with 1:40 left on the game clock. However, the Chieftains couldn’t get the ball to drop and the game went to the Raiders, 77-65.

“These boys are playing hard to the end and this could have been anybody’s game tonight,” said Webster.

Nitek had a great night defensively, pulling down 12 rebounds and chipping in with 2 points, offensively, while Craker had his best game of the season, with 20 points, 4 steals and 6 assists. Strzok also scored 20 points, 12 of those coming beyond the arc.

Yeager added 8 points and Burgess came in with 4, while Johnson and freshman Carter Johnson gave good scoring off the bench, with 7 and 4 points, respectively.

Lake Holcombe’s record is now 4-4 on the season, and 3-1 in league play.