Laney Rolls To Advance To Second Round

Just before the game started, I asked myself if this young team from Laney was going to be able to continue their run through the playoffs. Well Laney answered that question in resounding fashion as they earned an impressive 72-48 victory over Benedictine to move on to the second round of the state tournament. Laney's next opponent will be the winner of the Taylor County vs Cook County game.

The Wildcats did not come out of the locker room until 5 minutes before game time. Clearly, whatever speech they heard paid off greatly for them. Though early on in the game it did not seem that way. Both teams battled hard in the first quarter and when it ended the score was tied 15-15.

Benedictine tried to rotate between a zone and man defense throughout the game in order to try and get Laney's offense off rhythm. They also utilized good ball movement to stay in the game early. While Benedictine battled hard and stayed in the game for a while, eventually Laney's athleticism was too much.

After scoring only 15 points in the first quarter, Laney outscored Benedictine 57-33 over the final three quarters. On defense, Laney was able to get steals that lead to easy transition points. They also out rebounded Benedictine and were able to start fast breaks off of their rebounds. The Wildcats were also able to get open shots for the majority of the game as a result of their good ball movement and smart play.

 Laney was lead by Zephaniah Jasper and Jashawn Brooks, as they both played solid games. In the second half in particular they began to take over. Each of them started to hit their jumpshots, and they were also able to get to the rim.

Overall, Laney played a very sound game defensively and an efficient game offensively.  The Wildcats did not turn the ball over much, and they were able to force a lot of turnovers. Young or old, if a team can win the turnover battle, hold their opponent under 50 points, and create open shots with good ball movement they will be tough to beat.

Watch the highlights above to see how Laney was able to advance to the second round of the state tournament.