Lakeland Edged Out by Wayne Memorial in Home Opener

The  boy’s varsity basketball team put up a hard fight during Tuesday night's home opener against Wayne Memorial, but were eventually edged out in a 44-43 defeat.

The Wayne Zebras jumped out to a quick 12-3 lead in the first quarter, but the Eagles made a solid recovery with the help of veteran senior guard Troy Baerston and junior forward Chuck Sanders. With the steady play of Baerston and a crowd-pleasing dunk by Sanders, the Eagles were able to outscore the Zebras 15-9, which only put them down by three at the half with a score of 21-18.

With a solid show from the defense during the third quarter and a three-point shot from the corner by Tommy Yakel, the Eagles were on top going into the fourth quarter with a score of 31-29.

A fast-paced, up-tempo fourth saw the leads continuously change hands as both teams battled it out on the court for the win. Missed opportunities at the free throw line, with the Eagles only managing to hit seven of 14 shots, kept the score and game close.

In the end, the Zebras held off a last-minute rally to claim the win.

White Lake’s Chuck Sanders had a game high of 12 points for the Eagles followed closely by teammate Troy Baerston with 11 points.

Lakeland High School will be back in action Thursday night as they take on the Pinckney Pirates at home. Tip off is at 7 pm.

For a complete list of Lakeland basketball game times, click here.