If there’s one truth about 9th Region basketball, it’s this: every game is a toss-up, and no ranking or record is ever safe.
That reality hit home Tuesday night at The Finn, where Lloyd Memorial walked into a packed road environment against a Holy Cross team that had been rolling. The Indians were 12-1, unbeaten in region play, ranked second in the 9th Region and sitting inside the state’s top 15. None of it mattered.
By the end of the night, it was Lloyd Memorial walking off with a convincing 63-53 win, another reminder that in the 9th Region, expectations mean very little once the ball is tipped.
“We’re right in the mix,” Juggernauts head coach Mike Walker said afterward. “I don’t get caught up in rankings. When we walk into a gym, it’s going to be a good game.”
With the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, Lloyd knew the challenge awaiting them. Walker even joked the Juggernauts should expect to be “10 points down walking in the door.” Instead, Lloyd played like a team that never felt overwhelmed.
The Juggernauts trailed only twice all night and steadily took control, building a lead that grew as large as 22. The plan was deliberate and relentless: play fast, attack the paint, and wear Holy Cross down.
Lloyd made just three shots from beyond the arc, but it hardly mattered. The Juggernauts pushed the tempo, lived at the rim, and imposed their physicality inside from the opening minutes.
At the center of it all was senior standout Anthony Blaackar, who finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 13-of-19 from the field. Holy Cross threw constant double teams his way, but Blaackar remained composed, attacking when the opportunity was there and trusting his teammates when it wasn’t.
“We’re playing with house money,” Blaackar said. “We don’t have anything to lose. Just come out, play hard, and get the win.”
That trust paid off. As the defense collapsed on Blaackar, others stepped up. Jason Kabeya added 12 points, while Isaiah Coleman recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, helping Lloyd control the paint and the glass.
“It takes a village to win,” Blaackar said. “It’s not a one-man game. They can keep doubling me, and we’ll keep winning.”
Holy Cross showed its fight early in the second quarter, erasing a 10-point deficit with a 13-0 run to briefly take the lead. Lloyd never panicked. The Juggernauts responded immediately, closing the half with a run of their own and taking a 27-23 advantage into the break.
From there, Lloyd delivered its strongest stretch of the night. The Juggernauts outscored Holy Cross 26-10 in the third period, pushing the lead to 53-33. Blaackar accounted for 12 of Lloyd’s final 16 points in the quarter.
“Our inability to stop the basketball showed tonight,” Holy Cross head coach Ric Johnson said. “Anthony Blaackar is a really good basketball player. He was able to get downhill.”
The Indians struggled to find rhythm offensively, shooting 18-of-58 from the field and just 2-of-16 from three-point range. Lloyd’s interior presence also showed up on the boards, as the Juggernauts outrebounded Holy Cross 41-27.
Nate Rominger led Holy Cross with 13 points, while Luke Arlinghaus added 11. A late push allowed the Indians to win the fourth quarter, but the damage had already been done.
The win marked Lloyd Memorial’s fourth straight victory in the series and reinforced what the Juggernauts believe about themselves as the season moves forward.
In the 9th Region, nothing is given and Lloyd Memorial proved they belong squarely in the conversation.
Holy Cross (12-1) returns to action Friday night at home in a 35th District seeding game against Holmes. Lloyd Memorial (9-3) stays on the road, traveling to Scott on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
JUGGERNAUTS 63, INDIANS 53
LLOYD MEMORIAL — 18-9-26-10 — 63
HOLY CROSS — 8-15-10-20 — 53
Scoring
Lloyd Memorial (63) — Blaackar 30, Kabeya 12, Coleman 10, I. Golsby 6, Barger 2, Lewis 2, N. Golsby 1
Holy Cross (53) — Rominger 13, Arlinghaus 11, Gabbard 8, Urlage 7, Henderson 6, Adams 2, Bottom 2, Hunt 2, B. Thornberry 2
Game Stats
Field Goals: Lloyd Memorial 27/55, Holy Cross 18/58
3-Pointers: Lloyd Memorial 1/8, Holy Cross 2/16
Free Throws: Lloyd Memorial 8/10, Holy Cross 15/17
Rebounds: Lloyd Memorial 41, Holy Cross 27
Assists: Lloyd Memorial 9, Holy Cross 8
Turnovers: Lloyd Memorial 16, Holy Cross 8
Steals: Lloyd Memorial 5, Holy Cross 9
Blocks: Lloyd Memorial 4, Holy Cross 4
Fouls: Lloyd Memorial 17, Holy Cross 15
Records: Lloyd Memorial 9-3, Holy Cross 12-2