The Orillia Lakers U15 boys team capped their undefeated season in the Hoop City Basketball League by winning the championship over the weekend.
The Lakers entered the championship weekend with the top seed and a bye into the semifinals where they faced Burloak Elite. The Lakers played like the top seed, starting off with a 10-0 run on their way to a 68-44 victory.
The game was a complete team effort with eight players scoring at least seven points and none more than 12. The team shot the ball really well with seven different players making a three-pointer; the team was perfect from the free throw line.
In the final, the Lakers met a determined Ottawa Next Level squad. It was apparent early on that this game wouldn't be as easy for the Lakers. The hot shooting from the semi-final disappeared and the team made only four out of 26 three-point attempts overall. Down by 10 early in the second quarter, they responded with defensive pressure that led to some easier buckets in transition.
An 11-0 run capped by a three-pointer at the half-time buzzer gave the Lakers a one-point lead. The Lakers continued the momentum into the third quarter and began to pull away on their way to a 65-57 win. Caden McFee battled foul trouble but still lead the team with 17 points. Darius Wilson and Nathan Litherland each had 11 and Owen McColm 9. Dmitri Zakiev led the defensive effort with 11 rebounds and seven of the team's 12 blocks.
The Lakers now enter Ontario Basketball League play which starts with home games at Orillia Secondary School on March 9. The expectation is that the Lakers will be placed in the top OBL pool which will bring many of the best U15 basketball players in Ontario to Orillia. The schedule for that weekend is not yet available.
The Lakers would like to thank their sponsors, JL Construction, Rama First Nation, Flynn Group, Simcoe Development, Telford Property Management and Cubic Feet Designs.
