Lions, Wildcats, oh my!

LONE TREE - When the postseason starts in any sport, it is a common refrain to say ‘throw out the records.'

Records meant nothing Wednesday in a Southeast Iowa Super Conference North Division boys basketball game between the 1-16 Lone Tree Lions and the 1-15 Columbus Wildcats. There was drama, big shots, exciting play and runs. Basketball is a game of runs and the Lions and the Wildcats proved it. A 10-0 run and a technical in the first quarter, an 18-2 run in the second quarter, a 9-0 run to end the third quarter and a 14-0 run to start the fourth led to four lead changes at the end and an eventual 51-49 win for Lone Tree.

The second consecutive week the Lions played on Wednesday. Last Wednesday was an overtime loss by a point to Highland. If teams can play this exciting of a game on Wednesday night, the league, the area, the state, or even the IHSAA should look into a Wednesday night schedule.

Columbus scored first when mason Hodges opened the game with a bucket on an assist from Brody Frost. Trailing 10-5, the Wildcats got points from five different players to take a 15-10 lead. The second quarter was a Lion attack, a three-quarter court press that caused six consecutive turnoversat one point. From 3 minutes, 30 seconds until 1:20, the Wildcats didn't get a shot off.

'In a game like this, it seems like the end of the game is the difference, but if we just don't have a turnover or if we don't give up an easy layup on one of those turnovers, then it's a different ending,” Columbus coach Miguel Villagrana said. 'There's the difference but everybody looks at the end.”

'Traditionally, we were always played with the press,” LT coach Tom Squiers said. 'We just haven't always executed very well. That second quarter was probably the best quarter we had this season. I'm just happy to get a win.”

An 18-12 lead became a 30-20 deficit but Owen Watson got a rebound put back and Grant Watson canned what seemed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, but a toe on the line made it a two and it was 30-24 for the Liona at the break.

Watson, who would lead the Wildcats with 15 points, picked up his third foul with 3:29 in the third quarter and the Wildcats trailing 37-30. Frost nailed a 3-pointer on the next possession but the Lions run to close the period made the score 46-33.

Villagrana did nothing but encourage the Wildcats at the break. It worked.

Grant Watson bangs home a triple, Owen Watson scores on a Frost assist, then create his own bucket and Hodges gets a steal and a score on an assist from Frost.

Squires calls timeout ahead 46-42 at 5:21. Grant Watson nails a 3-pointer out of the timeout and Owen Watson scores on an assist from Hodges. Columbus leads 47-46.

Tyler Bell hits two of his 15 points to give Lone Tree the lead. After a Columbus timeout, Hodges scores on an assist from Owen Watson. Hodges gets a steal but Columbus puts up too quick of a shot. Lone Tree converts a pair of free throws for the 50-49 edge and adds another late.

'It sucks to lose but we had chances and we didn't give it away,” Villagrana said. 'To me, It hurts. There's pain but we have to focus on the positives.”

These are the kind of situations the Wildcats haven't experienced, but 'we want to be in it, We had a guys step up, guys made plays. The fact that we were down 13 and got the lead, we have to look at that.”

Hodges finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Grant Watson and Frost had eight points a piece. Justus Lekwa hit a pair of treys and Timothy Hills-Carrier had a bucket.

Columbus shot one free throw. Lone Tree was 12-for-20, going to the line 10 times in each half.