Tournament Preview: Mustangs set to take on North Adams for 3rd time
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
DODSONVILLE — The Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs begin tournament play on Monday night at Waverly High School, taking on the North Adams Green Devils in a Division III SE District Sectional opening round game.
This will be the third matchup between these two Southern Hills League teams, with the Mustangs winning both times this season by scores of 74-37 and 77-67.
The winner will take on the Peebles Indians on Friday, Feb. 25 at Waverly at 6 p.m.
LC, a No. 8 seed, finished the regular season with a 7-13 mark, while NA, a No. 9 seed, was 6-14. In SHL play this year, LC was 6-7. Their other overall wins came against Fayetteville, New Boston, West Union (twice) and Eastern Brown.
LC is currently on a two-game losing streak, dropping their final two games of the season against Eastern Brown and Peebles. NA defeated Fayetteville for their final regular season win Friday night, but lost their regular season finale Saturday to Finneytown, 81-46. Against Finneytown (14-6), NA trailed 33-6 after the first quarter.
North Adams is a younger team than most in the SHL, but LC head coach Jason McLaughlin said the Green Devils keep improving as the year has progressed.
"They play an aggressive man-to-man defense, and an up-tempo offense. We will have to play our best to be able to beat them for the third time. It's always difficult to beat a team three times in the same season."
The Green Devils' wins have come against Eastern Brown, West Union (twice), Whiteoak (twice) and Fayetteville.
Two of the top players for NA are senior Drew Dollich and junior Caleb Harper. Dollich is the leading scorer for NA with 15.7 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game. Harper also has 5.2 rpg.
Other leading scorers for NA include Kris King with 10.2 ppg and Sheridan Carroll with 9.3 ppg. Both Carroll and King are sophomores.
"This is tough week with Peebles, Fayetteville and Finneytown before our tournament game on Monday against Lynchburg-Clay," NA head coach Dave Young said earlier in the week. "All four teams we have to play are good."
NA went 1-3 in those games.
As for the Mustangs, McLaughlin said his team's success will rely on their ability to play as a team.
"To play as a team, we must play with good ball and player movement. We need to make the extra passes so we can get great shots," McLaughlin said. "We have some good perimeter players who have stepped up, and they have made some big shots for us this year. We will have to do that in the tournament as well, to be successful."
Leading LC this season has been Dylan Noll, leading the Mustangs in scoring, rebounding and steals with 13 ppg., 8 rpg. and 2 spg. Austin Fawley, a senior, follows Noll with 11 ppg.
"Without our point guard Tyler Davidson (a junior), we struggle with our offense," McLaughlin said. "The majority of the ball-handling and assists start with him. He leads us in assists and is a threat from the three-point line, while running our offense."
Tip-off between the Green Devils and Mustangs will be at 7 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
This will be the third matchup between these two Southern Hills League teams, with the Mustangs winning both times this season by scores of 74-37 and 77-67.
The winner will take on the Peebles Indians on Friday, Feb. 25 at Waverly at 6 p.m.
LC, a No. 8 seed, finished the regular season with a 7-13 mark, while NA, a No. 9 seed, was 6-14. In SHL play this year, LC was 6-7. Their other overall wins came against Fayetteville, New Boston, West Union (twice) and Eastern Brown.
LC is currently on a two-game losing streak, dropping their final two games of the season against Eastern Brown and Peebles. NA defeated Fayetteville for their final regular season win Friday night, but lost their regular season finale Saturday to Finneytown, 81-46. Against Finneytown (14-6), NA trailed 33-6 after the first quarter.
North Adams is a younger team than most in the SHL, but LC head coach Jason McLaughlin said the Green Devils keep improving as the year has progressed.
"They play an aggressive man-to-man defense, and an up-tempo offense. We will have to play our best to be able to beat them for the third time. It's always difficult to beat a team three times in the same season."
The Green Devils' wins have come against Eastern Brown, West Union (twice), Whiteoak (twice) and Fayetteville.
Two of the top players for NA are senior Drew Dollich and junior Caleb Harper. Dollich is the leading scorer for NA with 15.7 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game. Harper also has 5.2 rpg.
Other leading scorers for NA include Kris King with 10.2 ppg and Sheridan Carroll with 9.3 ppg. Both Carroll and King are sophomores.
"This is tough week with Peebles, Fayetteville and Finneytown before our tournament game on Monday against Lynchburg-Clay," NA head coach Dave Young said earlier in the week. "All four teams we have to play are good."
NA went 1-3 in those games.
As for the Mustangs, McLaughlin said his team's success will rely on their ability to play as a team.
"To play as a team, we must play with good ball and player movement. We need to make the extra passes so we can get great shots," McLaughlin said. "We have some good perimeter players who have stepped up, and they have made some big shots for us this year. We will have to do that in the tournament as well, to be successful."
Leading LC this season has been Dylan Noll, leading the Mustangs in scoring, rebounding and steals with 13 ppg., 8 rpg. and 2 spg. Austin Fawley, a senior, follows Noll with 11 ppg.
"Without our point guard Tyler Davidson (a junior), we struggle with our offense," McLaughlin said. "The majority of the ball-handling and assists start with him. He leads us in assists and is a threat from the three-point line, while running our offense."
Tip-off between the Green Devils and Mustangs will be at 7 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]