Mustangs big man Kameron Marx rises above the competition. KEVIN CHEN / LVHS PHOTO
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Logan and Stratton battle the flu to score combined 50 of team’s 57 points
CONTRIBUTED STORY
One quarter of high school basketball is exactly 8 minutes. A lot can happen in 8 minutes of action but in the first quarter of Tuesday’s Lucerne Valley High School boys’ varsity game, nothing actually happened; offensively that is.
The host Apple Valley Christian Warriors blanked the Mustangs in the first quarter, jumping out to a 15-0 lead that included a couple rim rocking dunks by the home squad. It is rare that a team goes an entire quarter without logging a single point (Lucerne Valley typically averages 15 points a quarter) but it is as rare when a team tallies more than 30 points in a quarter; which is exactly what the Mustangs did!
After failing to score through the first 8 minutes, Lucerne Valley went berserk in the second stanza, dropping a season high 31 points and turned what seemed to be a blowout into a hotly contested Agape League game.
Once again, it was the Mustangs talented senior duo of Lonye Logan and Daniel Stratton, both of whom were battling the flu, who kept Lucerne Valley close as the two combined for 50 of the Mustangs 57 points. Stratton hit one big three point shot after another and relentlessly battled for rebounds against a much taller Warrior team.
Stratton finished his night with 23 points and 14 rebounds. Logan was unstoppable in the open court as he consistently beat defenders down the floor en route to his 26 points, adding 7 assists for good measure. At halftime, the Mustangs had closed the gap to a mere two points at 31-33. A seesaw second half in which Lucerne Valley valiantly fought to stay close ultimately turned on a controversial call that permanently swung momentum the Warriors way and dealt the Mustangs a final blow.
With just over 2 minutes remaining and Lucerne Valley trailing by 10, Mustang guard Lonye Logan appeared to be fouled in the act of shooting. The referee closest to the play signaled a blocking foul on the defense sending Logan to the line for two free throws.
Suddenly, and inexplicably, the referee reversed his call, now signaling an offensive foul, much to the dismay of Head Coach Stephen Warnock and every Mustang supporter in attendance. The referee on the far side of the court then issued a questionable technical foul call on the Mustang bench. Apple Valley Christian converted both free throws and hit a three point basket on the ensuing possession. What was potentially an 8-point deficit with ample time left turned into a misleading final score of 74-57.
Unfortunately for Lucerne Valley, free throw shooting continued to be an issue as the Mustangs made only 11 of 23 attempts. Despite the outcome, first year Head Coach Stephen Warnock was proud of his team’s effort: “The boys have no reason to hang their heads. Despite the slow start, the team fought hard and, overall, played extremely well.”
It has often been said that happiness is health and a short memory. A resilient Lucerne Valley squad certainly proved that Friday night as the Mustangs returned home to the friendly confines of Brian L. Walker gymnasium much healthier than they were earlier in the week and quickly put Tuesday’s setback behind them.
Lucerne Valley got its most balanced team effort of the season as they started fast and cruised to a 68-50 league win over Bethel Christian, avenging an earlier defeat to the Eagles. Center Kameron Marx checked in with a big effort. Despite missing the entire first quarter, Marx finished his night with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals. Lonye Logan and Daniel Stratton were up to their old tricks with Logan scoring a game high 31 points and recording 8 steals on the night while Stratton chipped in 14 points and continued his impressive rebounding by grabbing a game high 22 boards. Justice Torres added 6 points and Kenny Kaiser 5 points.
“The team was fired up for this game and it showed. Everyone contributed and it was great to see the ball moving to all members of the team” Coach Warnock said following the victory.
However, there is no rest for the weary as the Agape League leading Hesperia Christian Patriots come to town Tuesday night. The Patriots enter the game undefeated in league play, having drubbed Lucerne Valley by 32 points in their first meeting. Then Lucerne Valley makes a trip to Antelope Valley Christian for an Agape League road game on Friday.