The Lake Region girls’ basketball team’s season had just ended in February – done in by a hideous shooting slump at the worst possible time – when Coach Doug Banks reached out to Joe Russo, the Portland boys’ basketball coach and organizer of the Holiday Hoops Showcase.
“As soon as the season was over, he was the first call I made,” Banks said. “I said ‘I need two (games).’ He was like ‘You got it.’ ”
Banks was hoping to give his players a mental test, bringing them back to the site of their defeat. What he didn’t know was that his team was in for an endurance test as well, in the form of two exhibition games in the span of four hours.
Lake Region handled both on Wednesday, following up a 40-29 loss to Portland High with a 57-42 victory over Lincoln Academy at the James A. Banks Sr. Exposition Building. The first game began at 10 a.m., the second one – the showcase’s third of the day – ended at 2 p.m., and by the end of it, the weary Lakers knew they were better for the experience.
“In our practices as a team, we run a good amount, we get up and down the floor a lot. So conditioning-wise, I think we were pretty well ready for it,” said junior guard Margo Tremblay. “But I’m sure it won’t be (feeling) very good later.”
Senior center Ava Smith said the day’s physical load could benefit the Lakers (3-2) in future games, such as the playoff contests they hope await.
“It was (catching up to us) a little bit. Definitely me, I was like ‘Whew.’ I think everyone did a good job, considering,” Smith said of the fatigue. “Against really hard teams, where it’s up and down, up and down, it’s really important to keep your endurance. I think this will definitely help out.”
Banks, whose father is the Portland Expo’s namesake, said his team turned the schedule into a positive.
“It’s not easy, but you’ve just got to take them when you can get them,” he said. “They responded well to it. It pushed them a little bit, to see how far they can go. Do I have the next gear? It was nice for them to accomplish it and be like ‘Hey, you know what, we can find that next gear.’ ”
Coming in, the goal was preparation. Lake Region wilted under the tournament pressure last season, shooting 30% from the floor and going 4-for-22 from the free-throw line in a 41-31 loss to Medomak Valley in the Class B South quarterfinals.
The Class B playoffs will still go through the Expo. Banks knew his team needed to get used to the venue, and so did his players.
“We need to learn to adapt to different situations and get more reps, so the more games we play on this court, it’s better for our playoff chances,” said junior forward Bella Smith. “It’s very nerve-wracking playing here, I’ll say. … And that was our first or second time playing here last year.”
The first game didn’t show that increased comfort and confidence. The Lakers, out of sorts partly as a result of a bus scheduling error that caused a late start to their day, never got into a rhythm against Portland and were outscored 13-2 in the fourth quarter while turning the ball over seven times.
Banks spoke to his team after the game and had a message: No more nerves.
“He just told us to relax,” Bella Smith said. “I feel like we were just playing very jumbled and not getting into place. He just told us to start running more plays and take our time.”
The second game showed the style Banks will hope to see on the court come February. The Lakers brought pressure on defense, pushed the ball up the court, and moved the ball around to find good looks in the half court. Instead of looking tired and fatigued, the Lakers appeared sharp and poised, shooting 7-for-14 from the field in a 15-point second quarter that gave them a 29-17 halftime lead.
After a poor third quarter allowed the Eagles, led by 14 points from freshman Olivia Ball and 13 from junior Mariam DeLisle, back into the game at 38-33, Lake Region showed the finishing touch it missed last year, making nine of its first 13 shots in the fourth to ice the victory.
“We needed this,” said Ava Smith, who scored 12 points in the fourth quarter and grabbed 14 rebounds in the game. “We were a little unprepared, and it felt like we just didn’t play as a team. … I think coming back here today and playing together … it felt good to leave that in the past and look to the future.”
Smith wasn’t the only one to feel that way.
“They’re getting more at home, but they’re also getting more confident in what we, as coaches, are calling,” Banks said. “They came to find out ‘We can hit open shots,’ and that’s the big thing for these girls, being able to shoot in here.
“That’s we got the two games. These girls can go a long ways when they have confidence in each other.”
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