LIMA — Lima Senior’s 85-50 boys basketball win over Toledo Central Catholic on Saturday night accomplished one of the Spartans’ goals for this season.
Now it’s on to even bigger things for No. 2-ranked Lima Senior (20-0, 13-0 Three Rivers Athletic Conference).
Saturday night’s win gave Lima Senior the undisputed TRAC championship, which was celebrated with several championship traditions, like playing “We Are The Champions” on the gym sound system, pulling on TRAC Champion T-shirts, the taking of dozens of cell phone pictures by fans, and even bringing out a ladder to cut down the nets.
The outcome of this game was no longer in question by halftime, maybe earlier.
Toledo Central Catholic had played Lima Senior, which had never won a TRAC title in boys basketball, tough the first time the two teams played this season when the Spartans came away with a 69-60 win.
But this time was different. Very different.
Lima Senior ran out to a 45-21 halftime lead, was up by 42 points, 69-27, after three quarters and limited Central Catholic to only six field goals in the first three quarters.
“This was our goal to be conference champions. We’re 20-0, so obviously we want to be 22-0. We implemented that goal a couple weeks ago. But the main goal now is to try to make it to Columbus and if we can make it to Columbus we’ll have some other goals once we’re there,” Lima Senior coach Quincey Simpson said.
Xavier Simpson had 29 points to lead Lima Senior’s scoring. Jarius Ward had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Rico Stafford scored 11 points and had six rebounds and Marquevious Wilson scored 11 points.
Ryan Christie’s 12 points led Central Catholic (9-11, 6-7 TRAC).
In the first three quarters when it was first team against first team, Lima Senior limited the Irish to 20 percent shooting (6 of 30 on field goals), forced 20 turnovers and dominated the rebounding.
“We were a lot more focused here,” Quincey Simpson said about the difference between Saturday night’s game and the first time the two teams played.
“I think these guys wanted to be outright conference champs in front of our home crowd. We played well. I thought we got to loose balls, 50-50 balls well and we rebounded extremely well. I challenged certain guys to hit the glass and they accepted that challenge.
“We had a conversation in the locker room about our defense. I haven’t been happy overall about our defense the last three or four games. I told these guys we were going to go back to having three-hour practices if we don’t step up our intensity. That kind of sent the message to some guys. They don’t want to be in the gym three hours but they know I will do it,” he said.
Lima Senior will finish its regular season with a TRAC game at Oregon Clay on Friday and a home game against Mansfield Senior on Saturday.
