Lutheran Earns 12th Victory, Beats MICDS 52-44

If Parker Van Nest has taken geometry at Lutheran South, then he knows the shortest distance between two points is a flat line.

Shooting free throws with just a bit of arc on them, Van Nest was lights out down the stretch, converting both ends of 1 and 1 free throw opportunities three times, and hitting on the front end of another, enough points to lift Lutheran South to a 52-44 win over home team MICDS.

This was exam week for the host Rams (11-11) and they played like it. Holding second place in the conference, the Rams went scoreless for the first 4:33 of the third quarter, and what was a 21-18 halftime deficit turned into a commanding 31-21 Lancer lead midway through the third. Actually, the Rams could muster just 8 points in the third quarter.

South Coach Brian Lind was mostly pleased with the victory. “We did stay within ourselves and we are learning what roles are players are supposed to be playing. Sometimes, I don’t even know the roles myself,” he said.

They do know one thing: the Lancers live by the motto on the back of their black warm up tee shirts. That motto states: “Players Play--Teams Win.” It also says: “Many tools--One Job.”

The Lancers aren’t playing for style points. Rather, they are playing for “W’s.”

“The last three weeks, it just seems we started to play within ourselves,” said Lind.

He likes where they are headed to in March.

Metro is solid

“Our league is very good, and its very even. Outside of John Burroughs winning the most, we are all beating up on each other, it seems.”

“We had a few rough games shooting free throws, but tonight, we hit them.”

“Our goal was not to be good at the beginning of the season, but to be good at the end of the season. We talk about our goals all the time,” said Lind.

Van Nest led all scorers with 14 points. Brandon Downey contributed 10. 

Van Nest says free throws are a hot topic around his team. “We each shoot 30 free throws before practice begins. We don’t start practice until we are making most of them,” he said.

“We are an up and coming team. We dish the ball to other. We are playing well lately,” said Van Nest.

Lancers strategy

“Our goal was to take Robin (Thompson) out of the game best we could. We started packing it in the middle.” 

Thompson did get 10 for the Rams and so did Jimmy DesPain including a clutch 3 pointer out of the corner in the last minute of play. He had 7 at half.

DesPain’s trey cut the lead to 43-41, but the Lancers took over from there, running their record to 12-10.

MICDS will rematch with rival Burroughs Friday night at the Washington University field house.