Future Bright For Lakeland Young Hawks Lose 3Rd-Place Game And Two Seniors

One by one the Lakeland High girls basketball team’s seniors walked out of the locker room at Nampa High School to a warm reception from parents, family and friends Saturday afternoon.

All two of them - Anika Duvall and Megan Egbert, who were two cornerstones to a foundation laid this week for future success for the Lakeland Hawks.

The season didn’t end the way Duvall and Egbert envisioned, but it wasn’t due to lack of effort on their part as the Hawks succumbed to Preston, 50-38, in the State A-2 tournament’s third-place contest.

Among those well wishers was the balance of Lakeland’s roster - seven sophomores and a freshman who picked up invaluable experience in the Hawks’ three state games.

They handed the seniors cards and gifts - sort of a final thank you for their key leadership on a young team that was cutting its teeth at state in the school’s first trip south since 1992.

Lakeland, which ends the season at 20-3, had obviously left much of its energy on the court the night before in a difficult 68-58 semifinal loss to Sugar-Salem.

The Hawks didn’t play anywhere close to the level that had brought them to state.

Despite their struggles, the Hawks had chances in the fourth quarter.

In a critical stretch, Lakeland went from trailing by six points to nine when Hawks coach Steve Seymour was assessed an unwarranted technical foul.

Seymour could have blown his nose and he probably would have been given a technical.

It started at the end of the third quarter when he was disgusted by the lack of a foul call as the period ended. Seymour took his fingers and pointed at his eyes essentially asking the referee to watch the game.

The official went to midcourt and told his partner - well within earshot of sportswriters - that he was “going to T his (butt),” alluding to Seymour.

So with his team trailing 39-33, Seymour asked the official why they allowed an “NBA continuation (foul)” on one end of the court, but didn’t call it on the other end.

Tweet. Technical. Preston made one of the foul shots and scored on the post-technical possession, extending their lead to 42-33 with 4:22 left.

When told of the exchange between the referees afterward, Seymour walked outside to calm down before talking with reporters.

“That’s my fault; I shouldn’t have done it anyway,” Seymour said after a few teary-eyed moments outside.

Then Seymour emphasized that the difference in the game wasn’t the officiating.

“Preston played did a good job defensively,” he said.

Lakeland struggled in its man-toman offense.

“We forced Sugar-Salem, which might be the best team in the state, out of their man to man (last night),” Seymour said. “(Today) we had a hard time getting off the bus. That’s any coach’s fear coming into a game like this.”

Duvall finished with a game-high 19 points, six rebounds and three steals. Egbert had six points and seven rebounds.

“Anika Duvall played one whale of a game,” Seymour said. “The two seniors - I couldn’t be any more proud of them. They gave everything they had.”

Duvall and Egbert see nothing but good things ahead.

“We didn’t quite set the highest precedent we should have for next year,” Duvall said. “But I think (they’ll) come back strong next year. We should have done better, but every year it’ll get better and better.”

Egbert agrees.

“If they don’t win it (state title) one of these years I’m going to be mad at them because they have way too much talent not to be here the next two years,” Egbert said. “I know we should have (taken a trophy home), but in my mind yesterday’s game was the (state championship game).” Preston 50, Lakeland 38

Preston 13 12 1 0 15 - 50

Lakeland 7 13 6 12 - 38

Preston - Johnson 8, Bowman 5, Schafer 0, Parker 0, Winward 0, Galloway 4, Hatch 0, S. Bobka 12, Stevenson 0, A. Bobka 7, Maseuli 14.

Lakeland - Douglas 0, Jamison 1, Hansen 0, VonBehren 0, Desmarais 4, Austad 4, Harwood 4, Egbert 6, Duvall 19, Kiefer 0.