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Comeback thwarted: Unbeaten Heath fends off Johnstown in the final minutes

By Andy Hoben, 01/17/20, 10:15PM EST

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Heath avoided a late scare and extended its lead in the LCL against Johnstown

HEATH, Ohio -- Flying under the radar coming into the 2019-20 season, Heath (14-0) surprised many by coming into the new year unbeaten, and after multiple single-digit victories, including a four-point win over Liberty Union on Tuesday, the Bulldogs entered the thick of their Licking County League schedule still undefeated.

However, visiting Johnstown (7-5) came into their game against Heath out for blood, and after a three-quarter lull, gave the Bulldogs all they could handle.

Despite a late run that saw the Johnnies pull within a single possession with under a minute left in the game, Heath was able to stay undefeated and come out with a huge 55-51 league victory on their home court. 

The game opened incredibly slowly in the scoring department, as both teams took the liberty of using long possessions to find holes in the opposing defense. With only one made basket in the first five minutes of play, Heath’s defensive pressure finally allowed them to pull ahead as they converted two transition lay-ins off of steals in their three-quarter court press. The Bulldogs led 8-4 after the low-scoring first period. 

Heath was able to pull ahead and extend their lead to double-digits in the second quarter thanks in large part to consistent playmaking by sophomore Keylan Williams and junior Nick Lamar. Williams canned two of his three first half threes late in the second quarter, and Lamar added a hop-step lay-in off of a hesitation move as well as a three on the next possession to push the Heath lead to 12 points. Standout sophomore big man Brandon McLaughlin hit a buzzer-beating bank shot from the block to put Heath up 31-17 going into halftime. 

The start of the second half saw the Bulldogs steadily maintain their lead and thwart any Johnstown comeback attempts. While the Johnnies and their junior post Jake Lusk began to get into a rhythm offensively, Heath was able to fight right back after each Johnstown bucket and never relinquished their double-digit advantage throughout the entirety of the third quarter. Their 14 point halftime lead would hold steady at 43-29 going into the fourth. 

Johnstown fought tooth and nail in the fourth quarter to get back in the game, utilizing a full-court trap and forcing Heath into mistakes; after two-plus quarters of dominant basketball, the Bulldogs finally cracked.

Despite actually growing their lead to 16 points at one point, Heath allowed 10-straight points that included two huge Lusk threes to help the Johnnies pull within six points with just under three minutes to go in regulation.

While Heath ultimately broke the streak with a three by Lamar, two straight buckets, the last of which being a three by freshman Caleb Schneider, made it a five-point game. A steal-and-score by junior Gavin Foe immediately afterwards cut it to a 50-47 Heath lead with just over a minute left in the game. 

However, Heath to iced the game away with clutch free throw shooting in the final minute. Lamar and sophomore Reece Huber each knocked down both ends of one-and-ones once Johnstown began to foul in an attempt to regain possession.

While Gavin Foe made it a three-point game once again at 54-51 with 13 seconds left, the Bulldogs were able to inbound the ball and Lamar knocked down one of two free throws to push it to an insurmountable four-point lead with time winding down.

Johnstown missed their final desperation heave and Heath came away with a hard-fought 55-51 home victory to remain unbeaten at 14-0. 

Johnstown fought valiantly down the stretch of the game and showed a kind of toughness and competitiveness against one of the top Division II teams in the area, a development that bodes well for the Johnnies' chances to compete at the district level in Division III down the line.

Lusk led all scorers with 20 points and was at his best when the game was down to the wire, scoring at every level and bringing his team back into the game after being down by 16 points at the beginning of the fourth. Foe added 12 points and seven rebounds, and Schneider broke onto the scene with 11 points that included three made threes. The Johnnies fall to 7-5 on the season and will look to bounce back against Worthington Christian at home on Monday. 

Heath’s talented mix of young and old kept them afloat and able to withstand the late game run by Johnstown. Lamar put together a great offensive performance with 18 points that included three made threes, and McLaughlin added 16 points and nearly 10 rebounds as he continues to flash his potential as one of the most promising big men in the class of 2022. Williams added nine points on three made threes.

The Bulldogs will look to remain unbeaten against league foe Licking Heights at home on Tuesday.


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