La Lumiere rallies late to beat O’Gorman

La Lumiere coach Alan Huss talked about his team’s game against Sioux Falls O’Gorman like it was a loss.

The Lakers were able to overcome a 12-point deficit with 6:35 left in the game, and got a bucket by Rapheal Davis, who scored a game-high 38 points, with 6 seconds remaining to pull out a 74-73 win over O’Gorman at the Mike Miller Classic Friday at the Corn Palace.

Huss said his team only did one thing better than O’Gorman in the whole game.

“We had more talent, to be honest,” he said. “I don’t think we outcoached them. I don’t think we outplayed them. I think we had more talent.

“And I thought our kids were tough for the last five, six minutes, but I thought that was the only reason we won.”

La Lumiere (13-2) has five players who are signed with NCAA Division I programs. Davis is signed with Purdue.

O’Gorman coach and Mitchell native Derek Robey agreed with Huss’ assessment of La Lumiere.

“Obviously, they are very, very good players, they are very athletic and talented,” he said. “Think of all of the guys that are going major (Division I) that we just played against.

“That’s two nights in a row now that we made some major decisions that cost us down the stretch and we just have to learn from that, and that’s what we keep telling our guys.”

On Thursday, O’Gorman (5-2) lost to Memphis Central 61-58.

After the game was over, the crowd decided to show both teams what it thought of the game, as it gave both teams a standing ovation.

“We get a standing ovation from the Mitchell Kernel people as we are leaving the floor, and O’Gorman doesn’t come here very often and get the Mitchell Kernel crowd cheering for them very often,” Robey said.

The Knights had a 73-66 lead with 1:30 left in the game after Connor Schaefbauer, who scored a team-high 22 points for O’Gorman, made a layup.

That would was the last shot the Knights made.

The Lakers responded with an NBA-range 3-pointer from the left arc by Matej Buovac with 1:16 left.

La Lumiere got the ball back and Antonio Drummond hit a 3-pointer from the right arc with 45 seconds left to put the Lakers down by one.

O’Gorman was unable to score on the ensuing possession, and with the shot clock turned off, La Lumiere put the ball in the hands of its best player for the game, Davis. He did not disappoint.

Davis slowly drove past the free-throw line and then sank a short jumper to give the Lakers a 74-73 lead.

O’Gorman drove down the floor for the last shot, but Schaefbauer’s 3-pointer from the left corner did not fall, meaning La Lumiere avoided being upset.

“We would’ve had mutiny on our hands,” Huss said. “That was forced, honestly, by a very good basketball team. If there’s another team better in South Dakota, I want to see them.”

Drummond added 14 points and Hanner Perea had 12 rebounds for La Lumiere, which shot 56 percent (28-of-50) for the game.

Ryan Lindberg scored 17 points for O’Gorman and Tyler Pals had seven rebounds. The Knights shot 51 percent (28-of-55) from the field.

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