In a season with many bumps due to lack of varsity experience, in possibly the toughest conference in the area, the NDCL Lions have battled huge odds this season.
Wins have not been at the level the Lions are accustomed to. But they’ve come a long way since before the season began.
In a battle Friday night against an opponent that destroyed them earlier in the season with a barrage of 14 3-pointers, the Lions used smothering defense to almost climb back up the hill all the way for a win.
However, for all the heart and intensity they could muster, the Walsh Warriors hit from the free throw line with the clock stopped to claim a double overtime 51-47 North Coast League win.
Big plays at both ends of the floor were the hot item of the day, and when the Lions jumped out to an 11-0 lead in the first period as they celebrated Senior Night, it looked like there was going to be more to celebrate as well.
NDCL made some huge plays as they battled a taller Walsh team all night, eventually dominating on the backboards by a 34-22 count, yet some of the mistakes proved extremely costly at the wrong times.
The Lions saw their record drop to 3-14 on the season.
Kept away from the free throw line most of the night, Walsh hit on eight of 12 in a second overtime to outscore the Lions by 10-6. It also took the only three points of the last 2:15 of the game, on a 3-pointer from Ben Merril, who scored 30 points, to send the contest into overtime.
Brian Carney paced the scoring effort for the Lions with 18 points, and it was his basket that sent the game farther down the road: on an inbounds play coming out of a timeout with seconds left in the first overtime.
With both Eddie and Danny Zucker running into foul trouble, eventually leaving the game for good, Walsh did their damage at the line in the second overtime.
Zach Zienka, who played a huge role for the NDCL football team with crunching blocks and smashing tackles, did not score a point, but his presence helped lift the Lion’s efforts.
“I was just trying to do my role for the team tonight, same as always,” the senior standout said. “I try to hold myself accountable for playing defense and for rebounding, and if I happen to score, that’s all the better, but my role is to help build this team. It hasn’t gone like we’d like, but we have improved a lot over the course of the season.”
Coach Chris Poulos knew he was dealing with a young team before things got going, but one thing he has seen improve drastically is the heart of his players.
“This is really an emotional game for us, especially coming up short,” he said. “At the same time, I’m just so proud of how these kids battled tonight and in every game. We were young in varsity experience and it has showed, but there’s no question about the effort, especially tonight.
“Our seniors gave it all they had, so to honor them, I kept them in the game most of the night and let them decide how it would come out. We had some chances, made a great effort every second, and it just didn’t work out, but these kids may be the most likable and hardworking group I’ve worked with. How we have grown can’t be measured by numbers.”
Both teams played solid defense. Rebounding gave NDCL an early lead, but Merril hit several big shots from long range, and then the free throw shooting in the second overtime provided the difference, barely.
Kameron King nailed a long 3-pointer to open the second overtime for the Lions to give them a brief lead, Walsh missed a buzzer-beater at the end of the first OT, Carney ended the first half with a 3-pointer to give the Lions a 24-16 halftime lead, and there were so many plays that either worked or didn’t that players’ memories, both good and bad, will abound for years.
It’s always tough to lose, especially on Senior Night, but this group of NDCL Lions showed there is also much to be proud of. With effort like this, wins will come.
“I’m just so proud of how the kids played tonight,” Poulos said again. “At the same time, you have to credit Merril for having a big night on a big stage for Walsh.”