West Lafayette jumped on Crawfordsville early and cruised to a 74-46 win over the Athenians on Friday night in boys’ basketball.
The Red Devils took a 9-0 lead in the first two minutes behind seven-straight points to open the game from Donavan Loudermill. The junior had 12 first half points and was one of four West Lafayette players in double-figures.
West Lafayette led 22-11 after a quarter and 42-21 at the half.
“I thought that early on, their kids were in comparison with our kids, just really focused, competitive,” Crawfordsville coach David Pierce said following the loss. “I thought our guys were playing hard, but there’s a big difference in playing hard and sweating, and actually competing, refusing to get beat.”
The Red Devils started and finished the game hot from 3-point territory. They were 7-of-16 from deep at the half and connected on 13-of-28 triples for the game. Loudermill joined teammates Niko Roumbakis, Jack Montes, and Ben Werth each with three or made 3-pointers.
Crawfordsville struggled to score throughout, shooting just 19-of-51 for the game, including 9-of-27 in the first half. The Athenians made just four 3-pointers on 13 attempts.
Ethan McLemore led the Athenians with 18 points — nine in each half, while Drake Burris chipped in 10 — all in the first half.
Montes added 16, Werth 15, and Roumbakis 13 for the Red Devils.
West Lafayette out-rebounded Crawfordsville 32-20.
The Red Devils improve to 3-1 and travel to another Sagamore Conference foe tonight in Tri-West.
Crawfordsville falls to 2-3 with the loss, and the message from Pierce to his young team is that it’s time to get acclimated to varsity basketball.
“We told them that, that introduction to varsity basketball was over,” he said. “First five games, quarter of the season is over, and it’s done. We don’t have excuses of we are young anymore. You’ve got to wake up.”
The Athenians will travel to county and conference rival North Montgomery on Friday — with a week full of competitiveness drills ahead of them beforehand.
“It’s going to get tough this week, just because everything is going to be a competition drill,” Pierce said. “Competitiveness and just getting ready for North. That’s what North hangs their hat on is competitive drive and just getting after little things and doing the little things right. We will have our hands full.”
