Colts take down No. 3 Highlanders in early season rivalry clash
By Eli Thomas
The Chronicle
EUGENE – Thurston defeated North Eugene 65-47 on Tuesday night in a boys basketball game to move to 2-0 in Midwestern League play. The Highlanders, who were ranked No. 3 in Class 5A before Tuesday’s loss, are 0-2 in league games.
After losing a 59-58 game to Crater in which it scored a season-low in points, the Highlanders were looking to bounce back offensively. Instead, the Colts defense smothered the home team with terrific on-ball pressure and great communication and physicality off the ball to disrupt the Highlanders’ offensive sets.
“Credit to our coaching staff for a really good game plan, but really it comes down to the kids really digging in defensively and saying, ‘Hey, we’re not going to give you anything easy,’” Colts head coach Blaine Liberatore said.
Hot starts to each of the first three quarters were key to the Colts’ success. A 9-2 run to start the game, followed by 8-2 starts to the second and third quarters, were vital to not allowing the Highlanders to gain momentum.
Thurston’s Brody Lucas LaBounty gets a shot off against North Eugene.
The rivalry element of this game was obvious. Highlanders students tried to rattle Colts players throughout, with Colts star Lucas LaBounty taking the brunt of the heckling. He was unflappable, never letting the pressure affect him on his way to a 23-point, nine-rebound effort. Sophomore Treyson Hill also showed poise beyond his years, adding 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field for his second 20+ point game of the season.
Fouls, including a technical on a North Eugene coach, were a clear indicator of the high emotions of the game.
“We lost both games my sophomore year, and won both my junior year. There’s tension, for sure. They think they’re the best, we think we’re the best, so it’s good to clash heads,” LaBounty said.
High effort was present for both sides, but the Colts got the better of the loose balls and were constantly creating those plays by keeping hands in the passing lanes and crashing the offensive backboards. A lack of depth, with only seven players playing, did not hurt the Colts. The conditioning of the seven players was noticeable, as the Highlanders seemed to be the team that was winded more often, despite going deeper into its bench.
Thurston’s Brody Corgain fights through traffic against North Eugene.
The win was Colts head coach Blaine Liberatore’s 150th as the leader of the Thurston boys. Getting it against a rival, in a matchup of teams who have continually finished at the top of the Midwestern League standings, makes it even sweeter.
“There’s a lot of people who have picked them at the top of everything, and why wouldn’t you feel a little disrespected if you’re us?” Liberatore said after the game.
