Center Grove boys fall to Lawrence North

<p>On most nights, 65 points and 12 3-pointers would be enough to get the Center Grove boys basketball team a win.</p><p>The Trojans had a difficult time stopping Lawrence North at the other end, however, and the defensive struggles proved too much to overcome in a 74-65 home defeat on Friday night.</p><p>&quot;We held them to eight in the first quarter,&quot; Center Grove coach Zach Hahn said. &quot;We were getting back, we were building a wall, contesting shots, and then in the second quarter and third quarter, they started leaking out. Everything was in transition, and they got to the rim and they finished. The tempo was all in their favor tonight.&quot;</p><p>Limited in the opening quarter, the Wildcats (11-5) got at least 20 points in each of the last three periods. The Trojans last tied the game at 40-40 in the third on one of Spencer Piercefield’s school-record eight 3-pointers, but Lawrence North closed out the quarter with an 8-3 run and kept Center Grove (12-5) at arm’s length from there.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>After a D.J. Hughes basket with 6:56 left in the fourth made it 50-45, the visitors maintained at least a two-possession edge.</p><p>An inability to slow Lawrence North down in transition prevented Center Grove from coming back. (A decided difference at the foul line — the Wildcats were 17 of 21, the Trojans 9 of 17 — didn’t help.)</p><p>&quot;The third quarter, I honestly can’t remember a time when we got more than one stop in a row,&quot; Piercefield said. &quot;That’s something that we talk about, stringing stops together. Because of that, they got to do really whatever they wanted.&quot;</p><p>Center Grove jumped out to an early 15-6 lead behind a pair of early 3-pointers from Ben Nicoson and one from Piercefield before the Wildcats battled back to pull ahead, 21-20, midway through the second quarter. The lead changed hands four more times in the half before the teams went into the break tied at 28-28.</p><p>The back-and-forth continued until the Wildcats started to inch away late in the third quarter.</p><p>Piercefield finished with 26 points for the Trojans, while Trayce Jackson-Davis added 17 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots.</p><p>Tony Perkins had 22 points for Lawrence North. Jared Hankins and Hughes added 20 and 17, respectively.</p><p>&quot;Anytime you let the three best players on the other team get 20, 20 and 17, you’re not going to win,&quot; Hahn said.</p><p>The Trojans return to action next Thursday at top-ranked Warren Central. The two teams went to overtime at the Hall of Fame Classic in December.</p>