First Posted: 1/27/2015
LIMA – All streaks end. And it became apparent early this one’s expiration date was getting close.
Lima Senior’s 68-53 boys basketball win over Lima Central Catholic on Tuesday night ended a five-year winning streak by the Thunderbirds in their annual rivalry game with the Spartans.
That half-decade of dominance disappeared in a rampage of 3-pointers and turnovers when the Spartans built a 24-8 lead by the end of the first quarter.
LCC cut the lead to eight points twice in the second half but never recovered from the Spartans’ early outburst.
Lima Senior (10-2) hit the Thunderbirds (13-2) hard offensively and defensively early to take control of the game.
The Spartans connected on four 3-pointers and forced seven turnovers in the game’s first eight minutes. They eventually forced 20 turnovers in the game.
Junior point guard Xavier Simpson led Lima Senior with 19 points. Jaylin Thomas (15), Elijah Pughsley (12) and Rico Stafford (10) also hit double figures for Lima Senior. LCC’s Dantez Walton scored 16 points and Tre Cobbs and Josh Dixon each had 11.
Lima Senior coach Quincey Simpson compared the atmosphere a sellout crowd brought to Senior High’s gym to a small college game and said, “The energy was tremendous. We got a quick start but those guys fought back. Then down the stretch we were able to make some good plays and hit some shots.”
LCC coach Frank Kill said, “It really comes down to digging a hole the first quarter. It’s hard to gain ground against a good team. When you give up a 16-point lead early and you’re in a horse race like that, it’s hard to come back.
“We just didn’t take care of it (the basketball) early. We coughed it up like it was a hot potato. It’s unfortunate we came out like that. I didn’t see that coming,” he said.
LCC’s winning streak wasn’t the only the only thing hyping the atmosphere in this year’s game.
It was the first time Xavier Simpson had taken the court in a high school game against his former LCC teammates.
As a sophomore last season, Simpson helped LCC win the Division III state championship. But when his dad, Quincey, became Lima Senior’s head coach, he changed schools to play for him.
“It was a big game. We just came out and did what we had to do. I’m just excited I got it over with and we got the win,” Simpson said.
“There was a lot of stress. Not really stress, just a lot of people were in my face. I’m just excited that we got it over with and we got the win. A lot of people were asking me, ‘Are you excited for it?’
“I’m a basketball player and I love playing basketball. I’m excited for that. I look forward to every game,” he said.
Quincey Simpson said he and Xavier didn’t discuss going against his former teammates.
“We have never had a conversation about playing LCC and the only reason we haven’t is I know his mindset, I know he is always mentally ready to go. He is not going to get too excited about playing those guys, even though he went there. He is going to have the same approach no matter who he is playing against,” he said.
After falling behind 37-21 at halftime, LCC battled back to within eight points, 46-38, but Simpson responded with a 3-pointer to push the lead back to 11 points.
Two minutes into the fourth quarter, Walton hit a 3-pointer to make it 51-43, but Simpson found Stafford inside for lay-ups on two of the next three Lima Senior possessions and the Spartans’ lead never dropped below nine points the rest of the way.
When you have a player like X, you can’t replace that. That’s what he does, he steps up in big-time situations,” Kill said. “But we’ll be all right. If we don’t give them 20 extra possessions, we’d have been all right tonight.”
