Maysville races past Lakewood in opener
NEWTON TOWNSHIP — Maysville wants to put pressure on the opposition.
The host Panthers displayed that aggressive approach in their season opener on Saturday, using a 14-0 second-quarter run to take control of a 75-40 victory over Lakewood.
Connor Larimer led three Maysville starters in double figures with 27 points, Alex Bobb finished with 16 points and Hayden Jarrett chipped in 15.
The Panthers were 33-of-54 shooting from the field, including 7-of-18 behind the arc, while the Lancers didn't make a 3 and were forced into 20 turnovers, 12 in the first half.
Maysville coach Dave Brown felt his team started on the right foot, but it will be a process for a team with high expectations. The Panthers committed just seven turnovers and held a 23-17 edge on the glass.
"In Game 1, goofy things can happen. Our effort was there, and we played hard," Brown said. "We're going to play up tempo, and we have a really good team where we want to get as many possession as possible. There were early-season mistakes, and we're not ready to be a district finalist yet. We definitely have room to grow."
Brown was pleased to see his team take advantage of their size in the post against the smaller Lancers. The Panthers looked to Larimer, who had 11 points in the first quarter and 17 in the first half.
"They played a triangle and 2 and their post player wasn't as quick as Connor so we were able to attack that," Brown said. "We saw some good things, but we are far from a finished product. We have to keep working to get better."
The Panthers looked in mid-season form in the early going, scoring 11 of the game's first 13 points. Jarrett scored on a putback after Larimer split a pair of free throws, while four straight Lakewood turnovers led to hoops by Bobb, Larimer and Jarrett for an 11-2 edge.
Lakewood (1-2) scored on its next two possessions, as Nate Lee's putback and two free throws from Colton Ferry made it 11-6, but a Bobb 3 and six points from Larimer put Maysville up 20-12 after one.
A Carson Watts hoop to open the second quarter got the Lancers within 20-14, but they never got closer. The Panthers answered with six straight points, including four by Bobb, for a 12-point lead.
The teams exchanged hoops before the Panthers pulled away for good with a 14-0 run. Jarrett started the surge with a drive to the hoop to make it 30-18, while Larimer added four points and Bobb and Tyler Debolt hit triples — Debolt's capped the run — as the Maysville lead was 42-18.
Wesley Armstead added another 3 near the end of the half to put Maysville up 45-20 at the break, while the Panthers led 62-34 heading to the fourth where they got a running clock.
Armstead added seven points and Ky Ryan had five points, as seven Panthers scored.
Watts scored 12 points, Ferry and Martindale finished with 10 points apiece and Lee chipped in eight for the Lancers, who were 17 of 35 from the field.
bhannahs@gannett.com; @brandonhannahs
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Maysville races past Lakewood in opener
