Big second half from Leah Richards drives Lansing Catholic girls basketball past Portland
LANSING — Leah Richards has been one of several players who have played a key role in a perfect start for the Lansing Catholic girls basketball team.
And the sophomore was a big reason why the Cougars kept their unbeaten record intact Friday.
With her team facing a major test, Richards provided a boost in the second half to help Lansing Catholic to a 55-52 victory over defending state champion Portland in a matchup of unbeatens
Richards had 18 of her game-high 24 points after halftime to help spark the Cougars in a victory that gave them an early edge in the CAAC White title race. She knocked down three 3-pointers and was 5 of 6 from the free-throw line during her big second half.
"Leah has another level," Lansing Catholic coach Kacee Reid said. "I think I saw her a couple times in the game get a little upset, whether she didn't get a call or she missed a shot and she was frustrated. Her frustration turns into points and it turns into something good for us. She channels that in the right way. I've seen her go off like that in our scrimmages, but in a big game like this I've never seen her do that before. It was a huge step forward. I'm really proud of her."
Richards' hot touch set the tone as Lansing Catholic (11-0, 4-0 CAAC White) overcame an 11-point second-half deficit.
Portland (6-1, 2-1) owned a 32-21 lead in the early stages of the third quarter when Richards caught fire. She had a stretch where she scored 10 straight points to get the Cougars back into the game, hitting two 3s during that span.
"(Hitting those shots) got me going really well," Richards said. "I felt like I could help my team with those shots and in the end it did."
Richards' big shots helped get others going for Lansing Catholic, which knocked down six 3-pointers in the second half.
"It definitely helped," Lansing Catholic senior Sydney Buda said. "We definitely were nervous going into it - especially in the first half about the shots (not) falling as much as they normally do. Her being able to hit them - I felt like it gave everybody else confidence to start making their shots as well."
Lansing Catholic opened the fourth quarter on an 11-2 run that featured five points from Richards to take the lead. The Cougars never trailed again.
Hannah Pricco hit the go-ahead free throws with 1:25 to play to break a 49-49 tie. And Richards made it a two-possession game when she hit a free throw with 9.6 seconds to play.
That helped Lansing Catholic put the finishing touches on a win that adds to the growing confidence level for a young squad featuring just one senior.
"It's huge," Reid said. "I wish we didn't have to play them again, but unfortunately we definitely have to play them once and maybe twice more. (This) definitely helps us going into those games and we've got some good games coming up with Haslett and Arbor Prep and some other games. It definitely helps us take a step forward against really good competition."
Breckyn Werner had 19 points to pace Portland.
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Girls basketball: Leah Richards helps Lansing Catholic top Portland
