Leopards Get Scalped at Carrollton Powwow 77-48

By Leopard Nation · Published January 18, 2011 · Updated January 19, 2011

Carrollton 77, Louisville 48

The Louisville Leopards (7-4, 6-2) ran into a buzzsaw Tuesday night at Carrollton High School. The Warriors (12-0, 8-0) mauled the Leopards from start to finish to take a 77-48 victory and a commanding two-game lead in the NBC. Four Carrollton players scored in double figures during the rout. Rocco Buccasso led the Leopards with 13 points, while Owen Gramoy added 11.

Louisville endured a clinic put on by Carrollton’s sharpshooters throughout the first half. The Warriors hit home 5 of their 9 three-pointers on the night in the first quarter alone and jumped out to a 23-16 lead after one quarter. The Leopards tried to remain in the game, but Carrollton, led by John Lowdermilk, was relentless. Lowdermilk had 14 of his 19 points by halftime to help give the Warriors a 39-26 lead heading into the locker room.

The Warriors were aided by a host of Leopard miscues, which continued to pile up in the second half. Wide-open shots would not drop, simple passes turned into dangerous ones, and there was no answer on the defensive end. The Leopards had become the hunted.

Meanwhile, Carrollton remained unconscious in every phase of the game. They shot 56% (33-59) from the field and completely dominated on the boards. A 23-7 third quarter, which included a 15-0 run, led to the Warriors taking a 62-33 lead into the final quarter.

The seemingly lethargic Leopards had simply run out of gas. Shots banged off the side of the backboard and miscues rained from all over. It was a nightmare in the Black Hole and the Carrollton student section enjoyed every minute of it. Amazingly, Carrollton only shot 3 free throws all night long, but they found other ways to score. They drove to the bucket, they hit the three-ball, they were physical, and they were unstoppable.

The Warriors nearly had six players in double figures. Lowdermilk had 19 through just three quarters, Tyler Sheets poured in 15, and Stephen Ericksen laid in 12. Chris Ericksen had 11 and Andrew Collins scored 9, as they both banged home 3 treys a piece. Rob Smith also added 9 points for a Carrollton team that pulled their starters midway through the fourth quarter and cruised to the 77-48 win.

With the win, Carrollton has a commanding two-game lead in the NBC, with 6 league opponents remaining. But, the Division II AP Poll fourth ranked Warriors show no signs of stopping and are looking for more than just an NBC crown. They have a legitimate shot to complete a perfect regular season. The Leopards will look to rebound starting with Northwest Friday night at home.

STATISTICS:

LEOPARDS: Gramoy6 5-6 19, Minster 6 3-4 15, Buccasso 2 5-7 9, M. Sluss 4 1-3 9, Schooley 1 3-4 5, O’Brien 1 0-0 2, J. Sluss 0 2-2 2, TOTAL 20 19-26 61.

3PT (6): Buccasso (2), Gramoy (2), Frank, O’brien

TEAM FT: 6-11 54%

WARRIORS: Lowdermilk 8 1-2 19, Sheets 7 1-1 15, S. Ericksen 6 0-01 12, C. Ericksen 4 0-0 11, Collins 3 0-0 9, Smith 4 0-0 9, Dobrisevic 1 0-0 2, TOTALS 33 2-3 77.

3PT (9): Collins (3), C. Erickson (3), Lowdermilk (2), Smith (1)

TEAM FT: 2-3 67%

NEXT GAME: The Leopards will return home to host the Northwest Indians on Friday, January 21. JV will tip-off at 6:00, while Varsity will start at approximately 7:30.

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