LAKE GEORGE — The Lake George Warriors took on their league rival the Fort Ann Cardinals. An impressive display of shooting and rebounding helped the Warriors win 70-43.
“It’s a huge win for us,” said Mason Flatley, Lake George’s senior forward. “It’s Lake George and Fort Ann, one of the most heated rivalries in the history of the Adirondack League.”
The Warriors started off with a bang. Great ball movement allowed Mason Flatley to take and make three straight wide open three point field goals. Another basket by their senior center Chris Becker put Lake George up 11-0 early in the first quarter.
“Starting off strong really sets the tone. I think the guys get in the same mindset whenever I or someone else starts off strong,” said Flatley.
Lake George got out to a twelve point lead in the first quarter largely because of their dominance on the glass, both offensive and defensive. In fact Lake George grabbed every rebound in the first four minutes of play. Having all of these extra chances allowed the Warriors to put up 19 points in the first quarter despite some cold shooting. Nevertheless scrappy play by Fort Ann left them down only seven at the end of the quarter.
“The problem when you hit a lot of three’s early is that you can get three happy. I think that’s what happened at the end of the first quarter. So I’d like to see us be a little more patient and run through the offense. Then, if we don’t get a good shot we can take those three’s,” said Coach Blake White.
Rebounding once again played a big role in Lake George’s success in the second quarter as the Warriors went on a 13-2 run to open the quarter. During that span, Connor Vidnansky lead the team with five points.
“Rebounding and quick outlet passes are super important as it allows us to run in transition and play a quick offense,” said Flatley.
The Cardinals barely broke even the rest of the quarter and went into halftime down 17. Sawyer Lunt led Fort Ann in scoring with ten points after coming off the bench.
The second half was filled with uptempo offensive leading to plenty of scoring opportunities. Mason Flatley added six more points in the third quarter. For Fort Ann, their senior forward Luke Loso finally emerged, scoring eight of his twelve points.
Lake George outscored Fort Ann 16-12 in the fourth quarter to win their eleventh game of their unbeaten season. Mason Flatley led the Warriors with a game high 17 points and Luke Loso led the Cardinals in scoring with 12 points. Lake George will play again this Tuesday at North Warren. As for Fort Ann, they will be in Granville Tuesday.
