First Posted: 1/6/2015
FINDLAY — In the past nine meetings between the two basketball programs, Findlay has reigned supreme.
But not this time.
Lima Senior went on the road Tuesday night and snapped a nine-game skid against Findlay, defeating the Trojans 60-43 in Three Rivers Athletic Conference boys’ basketball action.
However, the start to Tuesday’s game was not the way Lima Senior (4-2, 2-1 TRAC) had planned.
After hitting just 2-of-5 shots from the field in the first quarter, Lima Senior found itself down 15-7 at the first stop.
However, in the second quarter, the Spartans opened with a 14-2 run, pulling out to a 21-17 lead by the 4:47 mark of the second quarter. Rico Stafford came off the bench and scored seven points in the second quarter.
The Spartans’ defensive pressure helped force six Findlay turnovers in the second quarter. Lima Senior, on 10-of-15 shooting in the second quarter, went into the break with a 33-21 lead over the Trojans.
Stafford went on to lead the Spartans with 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field. Xavier Simpson had his usual solid floor game, scoring 16 points, dishing out five assists and pulling down six rebounds.
Elijah Pughsley added 10 points, three assists and two steals.
Grant Niswander and Kyle Nunn each scored 11 points to lead Findlay (5-2, 3-1). Nunn started out strong, scoring nine points in the first quarter. Lima Senior adjusted after the first period and held the sophomore standout to just one field goal the rest of the way.
“We wanted to prove it to ourselves,” Lima Senior coach Quincey Simpson said about Tuesday’s win. “At this point, we don’t have anything to prove to anybody but to ourselves. We want to just keep chipping at it and make baby steps; and at the end, we hope to be successful.”
In the turnover department, Lima Senior committed eight turnovers (two total in the first three quarters). Findlay turned the ball over 14 times.
