Lee’s Summit West holds on against Blue Valley Northwest in Shootout
Mario Goodrich drove the lane and went airborne for what would have been a ferocious slam late in the fourth quarter Saturday night had he not been fouled. It was a monster move from one of Lee’s Summit West’s smaller players, and the Titans needed their guards to stand tall.
Foul trouble had made Lee’s Summit West’s towering lineup considerably shorter in the fourth quarter of the Titans’ game against Blue Valley Northwest on Saturday night in the Cable Dahmer Shootout.
But thanks to a standout effort from a backcourt that took over down the stretch, LS West escaped with a 57-52 victory in the marquee matchup at Avila College.
LS West, 4-0, has one of the tallest lineups in the area with 6-foot-11 center Yor Anei, 6-8 forward Christian Bishop and 6-5 reserve forward Malachi Butler. BV Northwest, the defending Kansas Class 6A state champion, has size as well in 6-9 forward Parker Braun and 6-6 forward Joe Pleasant, which made for some battling inside.
Anei picked up his fifth foul going over Pleasant’s back on rebound two minutes into the fourth quarter. Bishop picked up his third in the third quarter, as did Butler.
But with Goodrich, 5-10 Phillip Brooks and 6-0 Rich Johnson running the floor and making free throws, the Titans wouldn’t come up short.
Our guards were phenomenal tonight,” LS West coach Michael Schieber said. “ Rich and Phil and Mario were just unbelievable. They made free throws down the stretch, made the right play … I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
LS West led by as many as 16 points in the first half, but that lead had dwindled to 40-36 going into the fourth quarter. Pleasant, who had a game-high 22 points and 13 rebounds, converted an and-one that pulled BV Northwest within 52-50 with 2 minutes 25 seconds to play.
Goodrich, who was 6 for 9 from the line in the fourth quarter, hit a free throw to make it 53-50. The Huskies missed three shots on their next possession, and the Titans’ guards were able to run off nearly a minute before BV Northwest could foul.
“I felt like as guards we had to pick up our team,” Goodrich said. “We’re the floor generals, so we had to get it going.”
LS West led 16-14 after a back-and-forth first quarter. The Titans went on a 16-2 run opening the second quarter with the help of five Blue Valley Northwest turnovers and two three-pointers from Johnson, who led the Titans with 20 points. The Titans went 7 for 7 during the stretch as they built a 32-16 lead.
Brooks ended the run with a midcourt steal he turned into a layup, and that would be LS West’s final points of the quarter. BV Northwest scored the last 10 points of the period as LS West suddenly struggled to stop the Huskies and find the basket. Sam Ward, who had 14 points for the Huskies, hit a three-pointer and a jumper during the run that closed BV Northwest 32-26 by halftime.
Cable Dahmer Shootout at Avila College
Saturday’s other scores:
Lincoln Prep girls 53, Sumner Academy 31
Turner 57, Lincoln Prep 43
Oak Park 55, BlueValley 52, OT
Blue Valley North 38, Park Hill 37, OT
Grandview 59, St. James Academy 37
This story was originally published December 16, 2017 at 9:35 PM with the headline "Lee’s Summit West holds on against Blue Valley Northwest in Shootout."