Gary Hargis
MTN Sports Reporter
The Lipscomb Academy boys basketball team staved off a late Father Ryan run to hold on by a margin of 57-46 on Friday.
The Mustangs started the game hot by building up a 15-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, and stretched it to a 12-point lead by halftime. Lipscomb’s defense, however is what propelled the Mustangs in the first half.
“The guys really bought into our defensive system and had great communication,” said Lipscomb head coach Will Mantlo. “That really allowed us to not have to cover too much ground and be where we needed to be.”
Father Ryan shot only 31% in the first half and 14% from three, but the Irish came out firing to start the second half. The Irish tallied a total of nine offensive rebounds, which created much easier shots from the inside.
The Mustangs, which entered the game with a 6-9 record, picked up a key divisional win tonight.
“Father Ryan is a great team and this is a really tough division, so anytime you can get a win like this, it’s exciting,” said Mantlo. “We still have not peaked just yet and this adds a lot of confidence to our team.”
Lipscomb senior Hank Hutcheson led the way for the Mustangs with 14 points, while sophomore Willie Walton added 13 of his own.
Senior Luke Gdowski tallied 21 points for the Irish and grabbed six boards.
Lipscomb will head to Ensworth High School for a battle on Tuesday. Father Ryan travels to MBA on Tuesday as well.
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