Today’s game
What: Mason (19-0, 15-0 GMC) at Lakota East (19-2, 14-1 GMC), 7:30 p.m.
Where: 6840 Lakota Lane, Liberty Twp.
Last season: Mason won both meetings, 60-51 at home Dec. 10 and 59-46 on the road Jan. 24
The game that Lakota East High School’s boys basketball team couldn’t afford to look ahead to has finally arrived.
The word “Mason” has been whispered by the Thunderhawks all season, but now they can talk freely about the Comets. Because it’s time.
Unbeaten Mason has already clinched a share of its first Greater Miami Conference title. East will try to grab a piece of it tonight in the regular-season finale for both teams at LEHS.
“It’s Senior Night. This place will be packed. It’s going to be awesome,” Thunderhawks senior forward Adam Dieball said. “It’s the perfect atmosphere and the perfect team to be playing against.”
East coach Clint Adkins has watched his squad solidify after a 56-50 loss to Fairfield on Jan. 9.
The Thunderhawks, 19-2 overall and 14-1 in the GMC, are on a 10-game winning streak.
“I’m really proud of our guys,” Adkins said. “It would’ve been easy to look ahead and have a letdown game, but I don’t think we’ve had a letdown in the last four games.
“I love where our kids are at mentally, physically. Having eight seniors, guys that have been through the wars, I love where we’re at. They are a confident bunch.”
The opponent is a formidable one. Mason is 19-0, 15-0, and trying to become the first team in program history to complete a perfect regular season.
The Comets have been a consistent force. They’re scoring 67.7 points and allowing 42.1 points per game.
“We felt like we were going to be a decent team at the beginning of the year, but I don’t think you can ever say you’re going to go undefeated,” Mason coach Greg Richards said. “That’s a tall task, especially in the league we’re in.
“I don’t think that was ever a sight that these guys had, but it’s there now. Whether it’s going to happen or not, I don’t know. But if it does, it’s going to have to be against an extremely tough opponent.”
These Comets are all about balance. Senior forward Cameron Arminio (13.1) and sophomore guard Eddie Puisis (10.6) are the top scorers on a squad that has seven players averaging at least six points per game.
Richards is known for man-to-man defense and the flex offense. For those not familiar with the flex, Adkins described it like this:
“In layman’s terms, it’s constant screening action where they’re trying to get guys lost. If you don’t do a great job of communicating, they’ll have guys coming off certain screens and they’re wide open for layups or threes.”
Comets senior point guard Michael Beebe was sick and didn’t play Tuesday night against Oak Hills. Richards is hopeful he’ll be ready to go against East.
Mason isn’t exactly small — its starting lineup has guys between 6-foot-1 and 6-6 — but the Thunderhawks often have four 6-7 players on the floor at the same time.
East senior Alex White tops the GMC in scoring (18.1) and rebounding (9.9). Dieball (68.5) and White (65.6) own the best field-goal percentages in the conference.
“We’ve got to feed Whitey,” Dieball said. “He’s the guy we’re looking for. Get it to him inside, kick it out to our shooters, and we’ll be good.”
Adkins wouldn’t tip his hand on the Thunderhawks’ defensive game plan, but they’ve been playing more zone of late. Their length is an important attribute.
“We haven’t really gone up against that much height across the board,” Richards said. “Their zone extends you out a little bit farther than you’re used to, and that changes your dynamics and shot selection.”
Said Adkins, “We can’t let their shooters step into their shots and be able to just catch and shoot. We’ve got to push them back two, three feet off the 3-point line, and if they’re hitting 22- and 23-foot contested threes, then so be it.”
East learned from the loss to Fairfield and has grown as a team, according to Adkins. The Thunderhawks also lost to New Albany in Game 2.
“We learned that we can’t just look by somebody,” Dieball said. “We came into that game thinking we were going to blow them out, and they jumped right on us.”
Richards is in his 20th season at the Mason helm. He’s retiring from teaching at the end of the year, but he plans to continue coaching.
“For now,” Richards said. “Let’s just keep rolling through this one and then we’ll worry about the next one.”
The Comets are only playing 20 regular-season games by choice. Richards said that’s his call, even though the Ohio High School Athletic Association allows 22 contests.
“Now that we’re playing 16 league games, I didn’t want to have some kind of weather thing get us. I don’t want to have to play three league games one week and three the next week,” he said.
“A lot of people go away over Christmas, and we haven’t done that. So far, I don’t think it’s hurt us not playing 22. We’ve played two every week and, to be honest, I think that’s enough.”
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