Lake Clifton's Jason Sharp saw that his team's offense in the paint wasn't working, so he did what all good shooting guards do - he dialed long distance.
The senior scored 26 points - 24 of them coming on three-pointers - to rally the Lakers past No. 9 Woodlawn, 65-47, at the City College Alumni Mixer last night.
After being held scoreless in the first quarter, Sharp started to light it up from the three-point line in the second quarter. The senior made three of his five three-pointers to keep the second-ranked Lakers (3-0) in a game that Woodlawn led most of the first half.
The Warriors (2-2) were using their inside game, led by seniors Donovan Boyles and Tyler Giles-Johnson, to take advantage of the man-to-man defense the Lakers were playing. The strategy worked well for Woodlawn, which used a jumper by Tevin Mackey (13 points) with 52 seconds left in the half to tie the score at 27 at the break.
The third quarter was all Lake Clifton. The Lakers used an extended 2-3 zone defense that frustrated the Warriors. After Corey Thomas hit a three-pointer to give Woodlawn a 30-29 lead with 5:14 left in the quarter, the Warriors were held scoreless for the next 3:02.
The Lakers got a three-pointer by Sharp, a jumper by William Barton, and two free-throws by Antonio Barton to take a 36-30 lead with 2:35 left in the quarter. After a layup by Woodlawn's Rashid Hines cut the deficit to 36-32, the Lakers used two more three-pointers by Sharp to score six of the next eight points and take a 42-34 lead. Woodlawn never threatened after that.
"They were running a screen and cut offense [in the first half], and they weren't hitting their jumpers," Lakers coach Herman Harried said. "We made adjustments at the half to keep them out of the paint by using an extended zone, and it worked. I still don't think we played well, but at the end of the day it's a win."
Sharp agreed with his coach.
"We didn't play right in the first half," Sharp said. "We just came out flat. It shows us we still have a lot of work to do."
Woodlawn coach Eddie Green said the zone was Woodlawn's undoing.
"We have young guards, and our zone execution wasn't what we'd hope for," said Green, whose team has now dropped games to Bishop McNamara and Lake Clifton this season. "Lake played a discipline zone, and we didn't adjust."
No. 3 CITY 56, POLY-TECH (DEL.) 34:: Jamal Williams scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half as the Knights (3-1) defeated the visiting Panthers (1-2) in the City Alumni Mixer. City jumped out to a 15-6 lead and led by 22 at halftime. Adam Johnson had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Knights.
Girls
MOUNT DE SALES 37, ROLAND PARK 33:: The Sailors made seven of eight free throws down the stretch to hold off the Reds in the Sherry Shootout at Bryn Mawr. Mount de Sales was down by four after three periods but outscored Roland Park 12-4 in the fourth. Annie Skomba had 16 points and seven rebounds to lead the Sailors.
Baltimore Sun reporters contributed to this article.