Suffolk News-Herald

Indian River outscored host Lakeland 29-8 in the final 11 minutes of play Friday night, turning a one point-game into a 65-43 romp over the Cavaliers. With a 36-35 lead with just under three minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Braves took off on a 16-0 run that spanned the next 5:40.

Up until the huge run, Lakeland had been right with the visitors. The Cavaliers gained an early 10-6 lead after six straight points off the bench from Aston Williams and Durrell Skeeter.

The Braves regained a 14-12 lead by the end of the first period, and had expanded the lead to 19-14 when Corey Davis turned in a backwards three-point play. After making the first of two free throws, Davis missed the second, but grabbed the rebound and converted on the lay-up to cut the Braves’ lead to two.

Another Davis basket tied the score at 23, and Davis drew a charge in the lane on the defensive end on the next Indian River possession. Voyland Cooke drew and converted two free throws on the next Lakeland trip to give Lakeland a 25-23 lead with 1:18 before halftime. A Braves basket tied the score with 12 seconds left and the teams went into the locker rooms tied at 25. Davis totaled nine points and six rebounds in the first half and Williams added six points.

The teams came out and traded scores in the early part of the third period. A Jaleel Nelson lay-in off a Skeeter bounce pass on a 3-on-2 break made it 31-31 with just under six minutes to go in the third. Moments later, Erik Oliphant picked up his fourth foul, to join Tyrone Parker who had gotten his fourth foul early in the third quarter.

Both teams went cold over the next three minutes, and the score was 36-35 Indian River, after Skeeter hit a three pointer with just under three minutes left in the period.

The Braves rolled off the next 16 straight points, leaving Lakeland trailing 52-35 before the Cavaliers finally scored again at the 5:17 mark of the fourth quarter. With the large lead in hand, the Braves turned to stalling out the clock, and did so effectively, running more than a minute off the clock before making two free throws with 4:01 left, making the score 54-38.

Lakeland’s only response to Indian River’s stalling was to foul.

The Braves finished the game shooting 21-for-35 (60.0 percent) from the foul line, which was good enough to expand their lead over the final four minutes.

Davis finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds and Nelson had nine points and six rebounds. In contrast, the Cavaliers were just 5-for-10 from the foul line. The Braves out-rebounded Lakeland 23-9 in the second half after the Cavaliers had a 14-12 board advantage during the first half.

Lakeland (8-8, 5-7) goes out of district for their next game, playing at Kempsville on Wednesday.

Keith Josey scored 20 points and pulled down 14 rebounds for his 14th double-double in 16 games as Nansemond River took over sole possession of first place in the Southeastern District with a 70-67 defeat of host Great Bridge on Friday. Andre Jones led the Warriors with 21 points.

After their battle with Lakeland Saturday night (not completed at press time), Riverwill host Hickory on Tuesday.