One in December. One in January. See the pattern developing?
“I want to start a four-in-a-row streak on February 14,” Lewiston coach Tim Farrar said. “That’s when I’d like the streak to start.”
That’s the beginning of the tournament, and it would mean a state championship, something that hasn’t happened since 1960. The Gold Ball seems a hundred miles away in this craziest of Class A East campaigns, but the Blue Devils are explosive and deep enough to deserve a place in the conversation.
Isaiah Harris led Lewiston (10-6) with 14 points and seven rebounds against Brewer (7-8), which rallied from a 13-point deficit to the lead late in the third quarter before the Devils dropped the hammer.
Tylon Myers scored all 10 of his points in the fourth quarter, including back-to-back 3-pointers to give Lewiston a 50-41 advantage with 5:42 left.
Myers has been hobbled for much of the season by a quadriceps contusion. His confidence was equally bruised.
“I think that’s been my problem all season. The last seven games of last season I was averaging 10 points a game. Then I came in this season dry,” Myers said. “I missed three games, and after that I had no confidence in my shot because I was thinking my leg was going to mess me up.”
Kevin Dillingham also gave Lewiston a career game off the bench with five points, five rebounds and a pair of steals.
“I just got a lot of playing time and tried to take advantage of it,” Dillingham said. “I try to play aggressive and as hard as I can, and if I can’t score, hustle as much as I can.”
Ryan Bell added 10 points and four steals for Lewiston.
Logan Rogerson led Brewer with 15 points. Matt Pushard added 14.
All five starters knocked down at least one 3-pointer for the Witches, who were 15-for-29 from the field before the Devils harassed them into a 2-for-11 fourth quarter.
“Most of them are shooters, so we just had to close out and play tight (defense),” Dillingham said. “We’re definitely excelling now. We had a little rough start, but we’re coming together. Our chemistry is getting better. I think we’ll do great in the playoffs.”
Nine Devils played. Eight of them registered at least four points.
“Dillingham and Myers had their best games of the year, and we needed them to,” Farrar said. “We’re happy for them, because they’re part of that senior class that has done so much for us. Their role might not be the big one, but they stepped up and guys found them and they hit big shots. That was the difference in the game, their points.”
Brewer jumped out to leads of 5-0 and 10-6 before Lewiston strung together nine unanswered points.
Ace Curry’s hook shot in heavy traffic and Harris’ steal and tomahawk dunk got it started. Carter Chabot rained down a 3-pointer from the the corner, and Dillingham delivered a layup off a drive-and-dish from Quintarian Brown.
Bell and Harris combined for nine quick points to put Lewiston in front, 28-15, with 4:45 to go in the half, but Jamison Rhoads-Doyle and Rogerson responded with consecutive treys.
“That’s a really good team that can really shoot it, and they’re organized,” Farrar said. “There’s always that cross matchup problem of when we’re bigger, who do our big guys guard? They exploited that tonight really well. They did a great job finding the open guy, and the open guy knocked a bunch of shots down, whoever he was.”
Lewiston was 0-for-4 from the free-throw line in the first half to leave the door open, and an 11-2 finishing kick — featuring eight points from Rogerson — brought Brewer within 30-26 at the half.
The Witches whittled the deficit to one on four different occasions before Jared St. Thomas’ layup fashioned a 40-39 lead with two minutes left in the third.
Enter the Devils’ vaunted transition game. Brown’s steal led to a Harris hoop through Curry to reclaim the lead. Harris returned the favor to Brown 16 seconds later, with Curry again playing middle man.
Lewiston forced 21 turnovers while committing only 12.
“That’s amazing,” Farrar said. “You don’t even worry about that number. That’s a great game for us.”
The win vaulted Lewiston to third in the Class A East Heal Points, with games against No. 10 Mt. Ararat and No. 2 Edward Little remaining.
“It looks good going into the playoffs,” Myers said. “We’re finally coming together completely as a team, and that’s going to be big.”
koakes@sunjournal.com
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