Leprechauns show grit to get first win
Mar. 12—LEBANON — Coming off two losses to start the season, including a big loss to Kokomo in the home opener Friday night, the Lebanon Leprechauns needed a win on Saturday night against the Jamestown (NY) Jackals.
Enter Dionte Raines. The Anderson native scored a game-high 27 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, to help the Leprechauns come-from-behind to beat the Jackals 107-102.
"We needed this a lot," Raines said. "Last night we came out and didn't do well against Kokomo, so this was a great momentum builder for us and exactly what we needed to get the season started off."
Lebanon was in control for most of the game.
They led by nine at the end of the first quarter and seven at the half. The Leprechauns built the lead to 12 at 70-57 on two free throws from Antonio Davis with 7:49 left in the third, but the Jackals wouldn't go away.
They got within five by the end of the third quarter, and completed a 10-0 run to take their first lead of the second half at 79-78 early in the fourth.
The two teams traded baskets for the next four minutes, but Jamestown slowly built the lead, going up 93-87 with 5:09 to go.
"One thing about our team — whenever we get down, we fight back," Raines said. "We never quit. I love to to play for a team like that. I can depend on these guys and they can depend on me."
Raines made sure there was no quit in the Leprechauns on Saturday night.
With his team trailing 97-92 with 3:12 to go, Raines hit two free throws to start a rally.
After an offensive foul by Jamestown, Raines assisted Dillon Ware for a basket, and after a basket from the Jackals, Raines had back-to-back three-point plays to give Lebanon a 102-99 lead with 1:21 to go.
"I was really looking to be aggressive," Raines said. "The last two games, I couldn't get a lot of shots to fall. My mindset tonight was to attack the basket and draw a lot of fouls."
Raines, Treshawn Gause and Davis all hit clutch free throws in the final 81 seconds to ice the game away.
The Leprechauns shot 53 free throws in the game, making 36. They were 10-of-14 in the fourth quarter.
Raines himself was 17-of-20 from the free throw line, and drew 14 fouls in the game.
"I work on my free throws every single day," Raines said. "I know they are coming in the game, so I practice to the best of my abilities."
Ware scored 15 points for the Leprechauns, who also got 14 points from Gause and 11 from Alontay Gould.
Lebanon (1-2) hosts Kalamazoo on Friday night and Glass City on Sunday next week.
Will Willems is the Sports Editor of the Lebanon Reporter. Follow him on Twitter @Will_Willems.
