Raiders strike the Lightning

Prologue
Its the section 3AAAA 4 vs 5 game as Cretin-Derham Hall travels to Eastview.  No concessions due to a close to tip arrival.  A smallish crowd on hand.  Tough luck for Eastview with their star Ben Oberfeld turning an ankle in practice on Monday.  He's in a walking boot for 2-4 weeks so that effectively ended his season.  Very hard to see a senior like him go out like that.  Shooter Mark Dwyer also out with Mono for the Lightning. 

Game Time
A good start for Eastview.  TJ Sinn with a bucket and a putback for a 3 point play.  Those 5 in a row give him 7 total in the 1st half. 13-8 Eastview at the 10:35 mark.  Cretin-Derham Hall counters with a 13-2 run.  Sam Neumann fouled on a 3 and banks in 2 of them.  He banks in another on a 3 point play.  Add a steal for a layup and Eastview needs a timeout.  21-15 Raiders with 3:22 left in the half.  Eastview knocks down a couple of 3s to pull within 24-23 at the half.

29 all just over 2 minutes into the second half.  CDH runs off 7 in a row with frosh Brian Lankford-Johnson coming off the bench with a 3.  Eastview back within 1 when Lankford knocks down another 3 and adds a bucket.  40-34 CDH with 10:55 left.  Sinn with a drive at the 5:47 mark and Eastview is down 44-43 as they take a timeout.  Lankford-Johnson coming up big again with a drive.  Sam Neumann adds an inbounds bucket and the lead jumps to 49-43 with 3:40 left.  Eastview misses a critical front end of the bonus.  Lankford-Johnson and Neumann add easy baskets and this one is out of reach.  Cretin-Derham Hall wins 59-48.

Post Game
Cretin-Derham Hall advances to face Apple Valley in Saturday's semifinals at Burnsville.  Freshman Brian Lankford-Johnson with 19 points off the bench, 3 triples included.  Joe Rosga makes his last 5 free throws to end up with 15 points, 11 in the second half.  Sam Neumann held to 11.

Eastview concludes their season at 15-12, 10-8 in the South Suburban.  Have to call the season a success considering how much they lost from last year.  TJ Sinn leads the Lightning with 18 points.  Soph Drew Guebert with a pair of 3s on his way to 11 points.  The Lightning play hard, defend very well and run great sets but there just wasn't the firepower there.