MADISON COUNTY — The Lapel Bulldogs found plenty to be thankful for after the Thanksgiving holiday.
In back-to-back Friday and Saturday games, coach Jimmie Howell’s Bulldogs pulled off an upset of a team they’ve beaten just a handful of times and also upset the Class 2A No. 4-ranked team.
At Lapel’s Saturday home opener, the Frankton Eagles entered No. 4 in the rankings, but after a back-and-forth duel with their school district rivals, the Eagles left with one in the loss column, falling 77-71.
Lapel opened the season at Anderson Friday night in similar fashion with a double overtime win against the Indians 76-72.
In the Frankton contest, even Eagles power shooter Kayden Key’s 34 points could not stop Lapel, which had three players in double figures.
Lapel took advantage of foul trouble on the Eagles’ side and scored 27 from the line. Four Eagles fouled out of the game.
The Bulldogs held a 30-25 advantage at the half but by the end of three they were up by just one bucket.
Key scored 13 points in the third to give the Eagles momentum. However, the ’Dogs’ Luke Richardson had his own big game with 26 points, going 5-of-7 from the field and snagging 16 of 21 free throws.
Other Bulldogs in double figures were Cole Alexander with 17 and Bryce Carpenter with 12.
Lapel’s momentum was likely a carryover from Friday’s heart-stopping six periods of basketball.
From the opening tip-off, the physicality of the game signaled the best was yet to come.
“We had a lot of kids step up,” Howell said. “Our bigs played well. (Carson) Huber had a great game.”
After a first quarter 11-11 tie, the Indians maintained a slim lead through the half, but when the second half opened, the Indians commanded the floor, outscoring the Bulldogs 23-12.
Lapel refused to give in and forced the Indians into foul trouble.
With just a few minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Bulldogs were down by 9, but a 3-point shot at the buzzer by Indian Daveyon Turner ended the quarter with Anderson up 51-39.
“They got ahead of us, but we didn’t panic,” Howell said. “We knew we could get back in it.”
And while the third quarter belonged to Anderson, the Bulldogs owned the fourth. Richardson began the comeback with two points under the basket. Five rapid points cut the Indians’ lead to seven.
Quick-handed Carson Huber got an Indian turnover and took the length of the floor to cut the lead to five, and suddenly the Bulldogs were back in the game.
Huber ended the night with 24 points, 12 coming from clutch free throws in the waning minutes.
Anderson had a 60-58 lead with seconds remaining when a foul sent Huber to the line again. Huber sank both shots to tie the score at 60, setting up the first four-minute overtime.
“Any time you’re playing a real athletic team like Anderson, you just want to hang close,” Howell said.
It the first OT period, it was Anderson who tied the score at 66, sending the game into another overtime. Foul trouble for the Indians sent the Bulldogs to the line, and missed free throws hindered the Indians in the final second.
While turnovers hindered the Bulldogs in the first three quarters, they committed just four in the fourth.
Before the season, Howell said he believed his team would come together by Christmas.
It seems things jelled a little sooner.
“I had no idea how we’d come out. This is a pleasant surprise. We played with poise most of the game,” Howell said.
Richardson scored 20 for the Bulldogs, followed by Gage White, who added 14.
The Bulldogs (2-0) travel to Pendleton Heights (0-1) on Friday, Nov. 30, for a 7:30 p.m. tip. Lapel is also one of the featured teams playing Dec. 7 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Bulldogs face Wapahani at 7:30 p.m.
