Milesnick Makes the Difference!

America is a great country:  If you keep showing up and doing your best, you can be the hero.  And that's just what happened to Jesse Milesnick today.  Jesse has come to practice and done everything that has been asked of him.  He is always in the right place at the right time.  And today it paid off.

In addition to making key defensive stops and pulling down rebounds, Jesse scored two key buckets in the third quarter.  His four points provided the margin of victory as first place LSU beat a well-coached Texas team by three points in overtime, 36-33.

It was a tense game.  It was a physical game.  Texas was whistled for 31 fouls.  Four Texas players were disqualified with five fouls each.  

LSU fell behind early and were looking up from a six point deficit at the half.  They pulled to within two points at the end of the third, and pulled even at the end of regulation.  Then the Texas players started dropping like flies.  They couldn't keep up with the LSU speed, and as a result the fouled.  As the Texas players exited the game, LSU established a 7-4 overtime advantage, five of which came on free throws.

All nine LSU players who played contributed to the win.  Will Howes scored a dozen and Walter Rivas scored ten to lead LSU in scoring.

Defense the Key to LSU Title Hopes

With very few exceptions, LSU have played tough defense this year.  All of LSU's eight wins are the result of team defense.  All ten players pitch in and do their parts.  All ten players know their roles.  They dive for loose balls.  They get rebounds.  They force turnovers.  Their full-court press is intimidating.  That will have to continue for LSU to finish the season strong, and win the division championship.  

LSU is in the driver's seat:  If we win our final three games, then no one can catch us.  To do that, we need to continue to defend, defend, defend.  LSU will get a chance to display the defense that put us in first place this Saturday against rival Texas.

Showdown with Second Place Longhorns Saturday

LSU is in control of its own destiny with three games remaining in the regular season.  They hold a one and one half game lead over rival Texas, who has won five and lost three.  Texas has lost two of their last three games, and is struggling to score points.

LSU is looking to rebound from a loss last Saturday.

A win this Saturday would guarantee LSU at least a share of the division title.  

"The Bandit" Eclipses the Century Mark

Walter "the Bandit" Rivas earned his nickname for his uncanny ability to steal the ball from the opposition and start a fast break.  This year, Walter has added scoring to his repertoire.  Walter's basket on Saturday raised his season point total to 101 in 9 games, making his the second LSU player to pass the 100 point mark.  Congratulations to Walter!

Race Tightens as LSU and Texas fall

Standings in the 5th and 6th grade boys in-town division tightened Saturday as the division's top two teams lost nail-biters. LSU fell to Marquette by 4 points. Texas lost to Notre Dame by 1 point. As a result, LSU maintains a 1 1/2 game lead over Texas with three teams - Notre Dame, Villanova and Marquette right on their heels.

LSU's loss brought to an end a brilliant seven-game winning streak. LSU were stymied by the ref's whistle. LSU was called for a record 22 fouls to Marquette's 11. Three LSU players (Walter Rivas, Will Howes and Noah Kleitsch) were disqualified with five fouls each, marking the first time this season that any LSU player has fouled out of a game.

LSU was still nearly able to overcome the fouls. Two of LSU's fabulous fifth graders combined for 11 points. Noah Kleitsch dropped in seven points in a breakthrough performance. Nick Liccardi added four in addition to taking on a big part of the responsibility on defense. Will Howes dropped in 21 points after an early injury took him out of the game.

LSU returns to action on Saturday in Chester against second place Texas.

Tigers Emerge from Break Atop the Division

The Presidents Week break is almost over, and the final four games of the regular season are upon us.  Going into the final stretch, LSU sits in first place with a 7-1 record with a 1 1/2 game lead over Texas.  The outlook is good going into the homestretch.  Why?

LSU boasts a balanced scoring attack.  While most teams in the division tend to rely on one scorer, LSU can get big time scoring from three players.  Will "the Thrill" Howes, Walter "il Bandito" Rivas and Ryan "Shaq" Lane all have multiple double-digit scoring efforts under their belts.

Will passed the century mark in points for the second time in two seasons in the Chester League, scoring 114 points in 8 games.  He has scored in double figures 7 times with a high game of 20.

Walter is on the brink of the century mark, scoring 99 points in 8 games.  He has scored in double figures 7 times with a high game of 14.

Ryan has scored 47 points in 7 games.  He has scored in double figures twice with a high game of 18.  At his current pace, he stands a good chance of becoming the third LSU player to top the century mark.  Ryan leads a platoon of seven fabulous fifth graders, all of whom are learning how to score the basketball.

LSU boasts a dynamic defense.  All ten players contribute by stopping their opponent, diving for loose balls and competing for rebounds.  The combination of a balanced scoring attack and a dynamic defense make LSU tough to beat.

Lane Leads LSU to Lopsided Win

Ryan Lane dominated under the boards and scored a season high 18 points to lead first-place LSU to a 43-27 victory over a vastly improved Louisville squad.  Ryan seemed to hit from everywhere on the court, dropping in a 15 foot jump shot, netting second chance points from offensive rebounds and going coast-to-coast on a fast break.  This was Ryan's second double-digit scoring effort.

Will Howes orchestrated the offense, adding ten points of his own to the effort.  Walter Rivas added seven.  Fabulous Fifth Graders Noah Kleitsch (4) and Nick Liccardi (2) added key buckets of their own.

Once again, the notorious Bermuda Triangle defense stopped the opposition cold.  The team held Louisville to two points in the third quarter, building a seemingly insurmountable 11 point lead.  LSU stretched the lead to twenty points in the fourth before yielding two late buckets.

The win marks LSU's seventh consecutive victory going into the Presidents Weekend Break.

Louisville to Try Its Luck Against LSU Again Tonight

LSU will face Louisville again tonight at the Black River Middle School at 8:15 pm.  Winners of six straight contests, LSU will take to the floor against a team that they have beaten twice.  In any sport at any level, it is difficult to beat any team three times in one season, so LSU will have to bring its best game to Black River.  LSU will play short-handed tonight, with at least one player suffering from the flu-like symptoms that are making the rounds this winter.

Note: Post Season Tournament

The regular season will probably consist of ten games, so we are starting to approach season's end.  What follows the season is Chester's own version of "March Madness".  All six teams in our division will qualify for the post-season tournament.  Traditionally, the post-season tournament has been a double elimination tournament.  That is, a team plays until it loses two games.  The last team standing without two losses is the tournament champion.

The tournament is exciting.  This year will be my sixth - and possibly last - trip to the tournament.  My previous visits have produced some great memories both for players and coaches.

We do not have the dates yet for the tournament, but it would probably begin the first week of March.

Look Who's Number One!

LSU starts out the week  all alone in first place in the Boys 5th-6th Grade Division of the Chester Basketball League.  The current standings are:

1.   LSU:  won 6 - lost 1

2.  Texas:  won 4 - lost 2

3.  Villanova:  won 3 - lost 3

4.  Marquette:  won 2 - lost 3

5.  Notre Dame:  won 2 - lost 4

6.  Louisville:  won 0 - lost 5

Town Team Update: P-G Defeats Manville 38-22

The P-G Town Team won their fourth straight contest in the Somerville Intertown League by defeating Manville 38-22.  P-G sprinted out to an 11-1 lead, then held off a persistent Manville team with a balanced scoring attack.  Walter Rivas led all scorers with 12 points.  Fabulous Fifth Graders Murphy LaFerle and Mike Hoppe contributed key buckets in the win.

LSU Prevails on "Sportsmanship Saturday"

Sportsmanship was the theme for LSU today as they took the court against Louisville.  In our pre-game huddle we spoke about how important it is to be good sports when you win a game, or when you are in first place.

At the top of the sportsmanship list was Coach Lane (Ryan's Dad), who kept score for both the LSU game and the later Peapack-Gladstone game against Manville.  Ryan Lane displayed good sportsmanship all game long as he kept cool with the Louisville center riding his back the entire game.  Nick Liccardi displayed good sportsmanship after he took a hit to the nose.  He stayed in the game, and did not complain.  Those were just two examples of an entire team of good sports.

Oh, and yes, they did win 40-20 over an improved Louisville squad.  Fantastic Fifth Graders  poured in points today:  Ryan Lane (6), Noah Kleitsch (4) and Miles Kenny (4) boosted the LSU fortunes.  Walter Rivas and Will Howes continued their hot shooting with 13 apiece in limited minutes.

Murphy LaFerle and Jesse Milesnick contributed often with rebounds and good passes.

The win brings LSU's record to 6-1, and places them in sole possession of first place after rival Texas lost their second game this morning.

Thrill's Three-Balls Throttle Notre Dame

The LSU defense clamped down on Notre Dame tonight, and Will "the Thrill" Howes poured in three three pointers in the first half as LSU beat cross-town rivals Notre Dame, 35-30.

Noah Kleitsch, Jesse Milesnick and Nick Liccardi led a defense that held Notre Dame's star center Andrew Martin to eight points on the night, and held the entire Notre Dame team to 12 points in the second half.

LSU's dynamic duo of Will Howes and Walter Rivas each scored 14 points, but it was Miles Kenny's two clutch buckets in the third quarter that proved crucial.  Miles hit two short jump shots to help hold off a pesky Notre Dame squad.

LSU moves to 5-1 on the season while Notre Dame drops to 2-3.  LSU faces Louisville Saturday morning in Chester. 

Injury Report: LSU vs. Notre Dame

Guard Nick "the Quick" Liccardi returns to the lineup tonight after recuperating from a skiing injury.  Nick practiced with the team yesterday, and appeared to be himself, hustling and competing.

"Fast Break" Jake Wagner missed school today due to illness.  As such, he will not be in the lineup tonight against Notre Dame.

Big Re-Match with Notre Dame Tonight in Peapack

LSU is one bucket away from an undefeated record at the mid-season point.  That one bucket - the one that didn't come - was needed against Notre Dame in the season opener.  LSU lost by one basket, 36-34, when they played their cross-town rivals in January.  The one bucket that almost happened was a three point attempt by Will Howes in the closing seconds.  That shot would have won the game at the buzzer, but it rimmed out.  Game time:  7:15.

LSU in First Place in Fun AND in the Standings

While we were having fun, we managed to learn a few things and win enough games to end the first half of the season in first place.  We are tied with Texas for the best record.  Based on the fact that we beat Texas, we win the tiebreaker.  The current standings:

LSU        Won 4 - Lost 1    .750

Texas      Won 4 - Lost 1   .750

Villanova  Won 2 - Lost 2    .500

Notre Dame    Won 2 - Lost 2    .500

Marquette    Won 1 - Lost 3     .250

Louisville   Won 0 - Lost 4    .000