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Boys playoffs: No. 10 Aquinas holds off Lions

By Jeff Hart Sports Reporter
Posted 8:44PM on Saturday 25th February 2012 ( 12 years ago )
GAINESVILLE -- Lakeview Academy was hoping its schedule of playing top-ranked teams would pay off come playoff time.

Unfortunately for the Lions, No. 10 Aquinas was too much to overcome Saturday in the opening round of the Class A boys state tournament. Lakeview Academy struggled early in a 70-60 loss to the Fighting Irish at the Lakeview gym.

The Lions had taken on No. 1 North Cobb Christian and fourth-ranked Athens Christian twice during the season but the quickness and size of Aquinas was a tough matchup from the opening tip.

Aquinas came out running from the start getting two quick fastbreak baskets from Ahmed Hill in the opening minute and then used a 10-0 run to take a 14-2 lead. The Fighting Irish defense then took control forcing four turnovers in a two minute span during an 11-0 run for a 27-6 lead.

Hill finished with a game-high 25 points and was a mismatch for every Lakeview player who tried to guard him.

"No. 14 (Hill) is a tremendous player," Lakeview coach Seth Vining said. "We had a hard time guarding him and he was a big difference in the game."

Lakeview (23-6) would never lead in the game. But the Lions would mount a furious second half charge, fueled by four Austin Pearson 3-pointers in a 25-10 run, to get within 51-49 with 5:19 left.

Pearson hit a 3-pointer to open the second half to cut it to 41-27 and then scored five straight points three minutes later to bring the Lions' to within 47-38, the first time they had trailed by less than 10 points since the opening two minutes of the game. Pearson closed out the third quarter on a stick-back at the buzzer to make 51-43 Aquinas.

Pearson would then score the first points of the fourth quarter on another long 3-pointer and then drilled his fourth trey of the second half 90 seconds later to cut the Irish lead to 51-49.

But the Irish, behind six straight points from Michael Scott, including a four-point possession following an intentional foul, answered Pearson and the Lions with a 14-3 run over a three minute span to push the lead back to 13 points with just under three minutes left. Lakeview never got closer than 10 the rest of the way.

Scott finished with 12 points and Ray Thompkins added 15 for the Irish (22-6).

Vining, who has seen his share of great performances over the years, said Pearson's was fun to watch. Pearson scored all 22 of his points after halftime.

"He had a tremendous second half," he said. "He got us back in the game but we just couldn't get over the hump."

The first six minutes of the game were conversely hard to watch for Vining.

"We just had a hard time scoring early on," he said. "They are a very good team but they didn't do anything we didn't expect. We just didn't make any shots."

Austin Montgomery kept the Lions as close as he could in the first half with 11 of his 15 points in the first half.

Aquinas forced 22 Lakeview turnovers for the game and was 15-of-23 from the free throw line for the game. Lakeview was just 4-of-9 from the line for the game.

Despite the loss, Vining said it was a solid year for his group, which missed out on the playoffs last year for the first time since 2003.

"This was a special team for us," Vining said. "Four of our six losses were to teams ranked in the top 10 (in their classifications). I'm very proud of how they didn't quit and to come back like they did against a team like Aquinas was outstanding."
Austin Pearson

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