The Three Lakes boys basketball team (1-2, 1-0) continues the tough stretch of its schedule, opening the season by playing four of the first five games against D2 and D3 competition. The Jays fell on the road to Antigo last Tuesday, before opening the Northern Lakes Conference season with a 61-33 win over Goodman/Pembine.
Seniors Eli Erickson and Peyton Pitlik led the Jays in scoring with 14 and 11 points, respectively, in the 46-65 loss to Antigo.
Pitlik finished with eight boards as well, along with seven for Erickson.
Freshman Easton Lurvey, sophomore Owen Liebscher, and senior Charlie Liebscher each had six points.
Antigo held Lurvey to just two field goals after he made 10 in his 25-point outburst against Northland Pines back on Nov. 26.
According to head coach George Lurvey, Three Lakes battled in the first half and kept the game relatively close and trailed by 12 at the break, 33-21. The Jays kept it within six or seven points for most of the opening, 18 minutes before Antigo pushed the game to double digits with less than 2:30 to go.
In the second half, some inexperience at the varsity level showed as turnovers and foul trouble became a factor. The Robins started to pull away just over halfway through the second half.
“With about seven minutes left in the game, we got in foul trouble and we started to slip,” stated Lurvey. “Turnovers were the deciding factor for us and it is something we know we need to clean up.”
The team has opened the season with an extremely tough schedule, which will play against D2 and D3 teams in four of their first five games.
“I am pleased with how the kids have been responding to the extremely difficult schedule we have with a team that is still trying to learn to play together,” stated Lurvey. “I love how they compete and stay positive.”
Erickson continued his scoring in the NLC opener last Friday. An early layup and a 3-pointer put Three Lakes up 9-0 with about 12:30 left in the first half. The lead ballooned to 11, 17-6, before Lurvey hit a 3-pointer which was three of his six points on the night.
The Jays held Goodman-Pembine under 10 points in the first half and led 32-9 early in the second before a contested layup by Lurvey extended the lead.
Three Lakes has two nonconference games on the schedule this week, including a Tuesday home game against Lakeland and a road contest at Tomahawk Friday, Dec. 13. The boys game at Tomahawk starts at 6 p.m.
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