Green Dragons Trample Terriers

LAKE PLACID - After coming back from the Christmas break with a disappointing effort in an 18-point loss to Mulberry, the Lake Placid boys basketball team bounced back with a convincing 78-45 win over Moore Haven on Thursday night.

Senior forward Conlin Veley led the way with a game-high 23 points to go along with nine rebounds as the Class 3A Green Dragons improved to 7-8 on the season.

"This was a nice win for us," said Veley. "We played a lot better as a team after not playing very well at Mulberry on Tuesday. We got the ball down the floor, hit some outside shots and didn't make a lot of mental mistakes.

"We need to play smart and together because the district race is wide open, and we still have a chance to make this a good season."

Lake Placid came out strong in the opening minutes as K.J. Delbert scored four of his 11 points, Marcus Waugh netted four and Veley added nine - including a 3-pointer - as the Green Dragons jumped out to a 17-11 lead heading into the second stanza.

"It felt good to hit some outside shots," said Veley. "I've been in a little bit of a shooting slump lately and this kind of game does a lot for my confidence."

Lake Placid utilized its quickness with a full-court press to force the Terriers into numerous turnovers to take control of the game as Veley poured in nine points to give the Dragons a commanding 39-21 lead at the half.

"We've been talking all season about coming back from adversity and it was good to see the guys come out with a good effort," said second-year Lake Placid coach Levi Williams. "This is a good win because we came out aggressive and with a lot of energy, ran our offense and cut down on our turnovers.

"Conlin had a solid game - which is nothing new - but we need to play this way every night if we want to contend for the district title."

The Green Dragons, which disbanded their junior varsity before the game, substituted liberally in the second half, and managed to increase their lead as Delbert scored four points to go up 53-33 heading into the final eight minutes.

"We didn't have enough players to practice with and this gives us a lot more depth for the varsity," Williams said. "It's not something I wanted to do, but it seemed the best thing to do at this time."

Moore Haven's Josh Patterson scored five of his team-high 12 points in the final period, but Lake Placid's Andre Wilson came off the bench to score 10 of his 12 points in the final stanza as the Dragons cruised to the easy win.

"We turned up the pressure on defense and forced turnovers, and that sparked our offense," Veley said. "We have a young team and we're learning that it takes focus and effort every night to be successful."

Lake Placid hosted McKeel Academy in a key Class 3A-District 10 matchup on Friday night.

For the complete story and pictures, see Sunday's Highlands Today.