Anthony Blaackar had barely left Lloyd Memorial’s locker room Friday when a group of boys begged him for autographs.
Blaackar obliged – he handed out shoes and undershirts, each with “AB #2” written with a green marker.
“I gave you everything in my locker,” Blaackar told the kids. “I made sure everybody got something.”
Blaackar gave Simon Kenton something the Pioneers probably didn’t want – a 28-point barrage in the Juggernauts’ 56-36 win.
Lloyd (2-0) coach Michael Walker, who notched his 101st career win, said Friday was the latest stop in Blaackar’s “coming out party.”
“He’s a name people know, but a name people don’t respect enough,” Walker said. “Because I think he, for the last three years, he’s been behind some guys … So I think they know his name, they know he’s good, but they haven’t really seen how good he is.”
Significant as the offense was (21-of-42 for 50%), the Juggernauts’ defense was equally important – Simon Kenton (0-2) scored just eight points in the second half and hit only 12 of 29 shots for the game. Blaackar was a factor – he held Simon Kenton’s Braylon Bilton, who scored 22 in Monday’s 62-51 loss at Conner, to six points Friday.
“We need Braylon to be able to do some stuff, and our team just didn’t,” Simon Kenton coach Trent Steiner said. “We need to find an identity, and we need to find an identity fast.”
Walker said the strategy was simple – defend gaps and disrupt Simon Kenton’s rhythm.
“They like to run a lot of sets and everything,” Walker said. “So our biggest thing was to pressure the basketball, get them out of rhythm … and kind of take away their shooters.”
Lloyd took a 13-4 lead after nearly six minutes with balanced scoring – Billy Lewis led with five points, Blaackar had four, and DeMareon Peterson and Jason Kabeya added two each.
The second quarter, the Pioneers rebounded. Eddie Marx’s seven of his team-high nine points led an 11-8 run for a 28-27 halftime lead.
Lloyd opened the third quarter with an 8-0 streak, including a 37-second sequence in which Blaackar took a defensive rebound away from Bilton, dribbled the length of the court for a layup and sliced through two Pioneers for another bucket.
Simon Kenton avoided being shut out because Noah Hardcorn scored four points over the final 3:45.
There was one final defensive play midway through the fourth quarter; Bilton drove the baseline on Lloyd’s Isiah Golsby when Blaackar blocked the shot from behind and eventually scored.
“I just sat down and guarded (Bilton) and made him shoot tough shots,” Blaackar said.
The Juggernauts face a tough test at 3 p.m. Saturday when they meet seven-time defending 16th Region champion Ashland at Highlands. Simon Kenton hosts Oldham County at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
“I think we’re looking good,” Blaackar said. “We just got our football guys back (Lloyd reached the Class 3A state semifinals last week), and it’s still early in the season. So there’s still a lot to do, but we’re going up the right way.”
PHOTOS: Slideshow provided by Charles Bolton
JUGGERNAUTS 56, PIONEERS 36
SIMON KENTON — 12-16-4-4 – 36
LLOYD MEMORIAL — 17-10-14-15 – 56
Simon Kenton (36) — Heeger 6, Lindenschmidt 4, Marx 9, Scobee 6, Hardcorn 5, Bilton 6. 3-Pt. FG: 5 (Heeger 2, Scobee 2, Marx). FT: 7-8. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: Hardcorn.
Lloyd Memorial (56) — I. Golsby 4, Kabeya 4, Blaackar 28, Peterson 4, Lewis 9, Barger 5, N. Golsby 2. 3-Pt. FG: 2(Blaackar, Barger). FT: 8-18. Fouls: 9. Fouled out: None.
Records: Simon Kenton 0-2, Lloyd Memorial 2-0.