Focused, explosive and often dazzling, Lake Clifton senior point guard Josh Selby set a fast pace and had plenty left for the finish against visiting City on Tuesday. The No. 3 Knights, who valiantly tried, simply couldn't keep up.
Selby finished with 41 points, including enough dunks to fill up a segment on "SportsCenter," to lead the No. 10 Lakers to a 69-61 statement win over City.
Lake Clifton improved to 10-3 overall and 3-0 in Baltimore City's Division II, while the Knights (12-2) fell to 1-1 in the division.
Selby scored 12 points and added a behind-the-back assist in helping the Lakers take an 18-5 lead through one quarter.
"My team looks at me as the leader, so when I'm doing a good job leading, then my team - we're just clicking and our chemistry is there," said Selby, who also had four assists. "This was a big win for us, and now we just have to move forward and get more victories."
The Lakers welcomed back senior center Kyree Watson, who has missed all but the first two games this season because of an illness and then a death in the family. Watson provided an inside presence, finishing with seven points, and Selby said having him back gave the team plenty of added energy.
It showed early.
Watson scored off a pass from Selby right after the opening tip, and behind two 3-pointers, the first of five dunks and two more strong drives by Selby, the Lakers shot 54 percent in the first quarter for the 13-point lead.
The Knights, led by an 18-point performance from senior center Jordan Latham, would close to within 48-44 with 5:08 to play, but the Lakers got key baskets from Leron Fisher and Durand Johnson and then hit their free throws at the end. Fittingly, Selby scored the Lakers' last basket with an emphatic dunk with 17 seconds to play.
"Josh is being a leader. He's not only scoring but he's also defending and making the right plays. He's bringing it. And he brought it tonight," Lake Clifton coach Herman "Tree" Harried said.
"He set the tone and the other guys followed."
C-Latham 18, Faust 12, Cheatum 13, Tapper 8, Nwankwo 3, Anderson 3, Amos 2, Rasheed 2. Totals 23 9-12 61.
LC-Selby 41, Johnson 10, Fields 7, Watson 7, Fisher 2, Washington 2. Totals 24 16-23 69.
Half: LC, 29-17.
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