The late game of the night featured the Clinton and Lakewood boys duking it out, both teams entering the contest looking to put a stop to consecutive losses. This was a battle that featured numerous lead changes throughout the night and in the end it was the Dark Horses that rallied late for the victory, securing victory at 50-47.
Lakewood won the opening tip and went right to work. Putting in a strong effort at the rim, the Leopards drew a foul and struck first by way of free throws. On the other end, Camden Davis answered with another pair, but Lakewood caught fire and went on a nice little run to open an advantage. Clinton, though, came right back, led by a surge from Davis, who was leading all scorers with seven points with 56.0 to go in the first quarter. At the end of the first quarter, the Dark Horses held a narrow lead.
The start of the second quarter was nip and tuck and saw the Leopards reclaim the lead. This back and forth continued, however, and with 3:26 left in the first half, the game was tied up at 22-22. Down the stretch, Lakewood’s Cameron Williams began heating up and helped the Leopards gain a little separation. It wasn’t much, but it was more than they had had since earlier in the game. At the halftime break, Lakewood led 31-27.