MANSFIELD, Ohio — The Mid-Buckeye Conference title is staying put.
St. Peter’s captured at least a share of its second straight MBC crown with a resounding 73-45 win over Lucas at the Franciscan Activity Center on Tuesday.
The Spartans (18-3, 10-1) can clinch the championship outright with a win Friday at Mansfield Christian. The Flames (13-7, 8-2) need victories over St. Peter’s and Crestline on Saturday to claim a piece of the championship.
“It feels good to be conference champs two years in a row,” said St. Peter’s senior Kyle Osgar, who scored a team-high 19 points. “Mansfield Christian is a good team and they play well in their gym. It’s going to be a tough test.”
Out of the Gate: The Spartans didn’t waste any time Tuesday night, racing out to a 24-7 first quarter lead. Sophomore guard Elijah Cobb led the charge, scoring nine of his 13 points in the period.
“Lucas has been playing tough. I told our kids, ‘You had better be ready to play or they will bite you,’ ” St. Peter’s coach Joe Jakubick said. “I thought we came out and played hard. We got good looks and were relentless on defense.”
Lucas (6-14, 3-9) was its own worst enemy, committing several unforced turnovers. The Spartans converted most of them into runout layups.
“We came out asleep in the beginning of this one,” Lucas coach Taylor Iceman said. “It was a perfect storm. They were ready to go and we were not.
“It wasn’t necessarily anything they were doing. We kept shooting ourselves in the foot.”
The Spartans opened the second quarter on a 9-4 run capped by Mason Campbell’s breakaway dunk midway through the period. St. Peter’s led 37-18 at the half.
“We didn’t bring the effort tonight and that is the frustrating part,” Iceman said. “I can handle losing games if you are missing shots, but we got outworked. That is the kind of stuff you can’t have.”
Balanced Attack: Four Spartans reached double figures, led by Osgar. Campbell had 17 points, while Jared Jakubick added 12.
Sam Davis paced the Cubs with 21 points. Josh Murphy added seven.
Tournament Tuneup: Both St. Peter’s and Lucas begin sectional action next week. The second-seeded Spartans play No. 12 Monroeville at 7 p.m. Feb. 23 at Lexington. Lucas has a first-round bye and will play at 6:15 p.m. Feb. 26 at Sandusky.
“We are playing pretty well, but there is always room for improvement,” Osgar said. “We want to make a long run in the tournament.”
