Lansing - In what is sure to be one of many big showdowns in the six team Capital Area III conference, Lansing Catholic Central made a big statement.  Before the season started Lakewood, Fowlerville and DeWitt were the three teams mentioned over and over again as league favorites.  At the halfway point in the MHSAA boy's basketball regular season, the Cougars stand atop of the standings alone.  Their only blemish being against Class A juggernaut Holt and that was only a 3 point loss at that.  Tonight I was anxious to see two things; could DeWitt bounce back from a stretch where they had lost 2 of their last three games and the second thing, how is the smallest school in the conference taking care of business and how did they almost knock off one of the best Class A teams in Mid-Michigan.  The answer to No. 2 is simple.  Defense, old fashioned, stick to your man, deny the ball, fill the lanes, defense.
It just wasn't DeWitt's night.  What many had thought would be the premier game of the evening got ugly in a hurry. 

LCC's man running the point opened the game with a quick pull-up jumper.  Max Gover pushed the early lead to 4-1 with another Cougar basket.  On the other side, Cody Worden drained a three to even things up.  The next trip down the court, Sam Celentino put DeWitt ahead 6-4.  It was shaping up to be one of those knockdown drag out fights.  Unfortunately for DeWitt, 6-4 would be their last lead and the closest the game would be from then on.  The lead lasted a matter of seconds as Mike Repovz put home a bucket and was hacked on the shot.  Repovz completed the three point play and put the Cougars on top.  This was the beginning of a 9-zip Cougar run that closed out the opening quarter.  Doug Hawley scored the last five points of the quarter, including a three ball.

Up 13-6, the Cougars pushed it to as much as 19-8 before DeWitt regained a little footing.  Aaron Nichols opened the quarter with 2 unanswered buckets and finished the quarter the way he started with 4 more points, giving him 8 for the 2nd quarter alone.  The Panthers had cut it to 6 at 21-15 after a Josh Armstead basket but that is when Nichols opened it back up to 10 as both teams hit the lockers for halftime. 

The third quarter was a stalemate.  Something the Panthers couldn't afford in a game that turned into a grinding, defensive struggle.  The third quarter became the Max Gover show.  Whenever DeWitt had clawed back to within single digits, Gover put the dagger in them three separate times, nailing three triples in the third quarter.  You have to give credit to DeWitt for not giving in.  LCC pushed the lead up to 13 late in the third quarter but DeWitt's Jason Fleet pulled his squad to back within 10 after two free throws and a basket.

Going into the fourth the Panthers knew that they would need their best quarter of the game, they instead, endured their worst.  DeWitt managed only 6 points, the same as they had achieved in the first quarter.  The Cougars were nearly flawless all game from the charity stripe and the fourth quarter was no different, with the Cougars making 8 of their 16 points from the line in the final period.  Unable to break the Cougar's defensive scheme, the lead ballooned to 20 points.  With 1:30 left in the game and no doubt what the outcome was going to be, both teams emptied their benches getting the reserves from playing time.  When the final buzzer sounded, the lopsided score read 52-32 in favor of the hosting Cougars.  The students who had pumped up their team all evening with chants and cheers, rushed the court to celebrate with their first place team. 

The Panthers left the court with the look of disgust on their faces.  It is only the halfway point in the season but the Panthers may be at a crossroads.  They are good enough to make some noise in the post-season but these Panthers have higher hopes than just being there and competing.  There's still plenty of time for the Panthers to reorganize and right the ship.  Their three losses have not been to cupcakes, rather some of Mid-Michigan's most solid teams.  Now for some bad news.  The next few weeks will be brutal for DeWitt in terms of their schedule.  Lakewood, Perry, Fowlerville and Portland are just a few of the land mines that lay ahead on their path towards March. 

As for the streaking Cougars; their schedule isn't any better.  LCC travels to Okemos next Tuesday against that might be Lansing's top team overall.  The Cougars will have something to say about that.  After going to Okemos, Haslett and Lakewood come to town and will try to knock LCC off their perch.

Other Notes:  The Cougars J.V. also notched a win, beating DeWitt in a thriller, 44-40.  I have been to gyms with plenty of spirit this year but this was one of the best if not the top game I have been to in terms of school spirit on both sides.  The home Cougars got into it deep with apparel and face paint while the visiting Panthers had a 'day at the beach' theme going.  The atmosphere was similar to a DeWitt-Haslett football game.