WILLARD — Jakob Legron has embraced his new role, even if he doesn’t especially care for it.
A senior, Legron came off Lexington’s bench to score 17 points as the top-seeded Minutemen cruised to 69-48 win over No. 4 Ashland in the opening game of a Division III district semifinal doubleheader Tuesday inside Robert L. Haas Gymnasium.
Legron was a starter earlier in the season while Brayden Fogle was sidelined with a wrist injury. When Fogle returned, coach Scott Hamilton juggled the lineup and Legron was the odd man out.
“Any high school kid who you have in the starting lineup, and then you change the starting lineup, is going to be upset. I understand that,” Hamilton said. “I think he has really done well in accepting what his role is and when we call his number, he’s locked in and ready to do his job.”
Losing his starting job didn’t sit well with Legron. It still doesn’t.
“I still don’t like it, but I’ve got to play when I’m on the court,” Legron said. “Just because I’m (not starting) doesn’t change the player that I am.”
The 5-foot-11 Legron was even more important Tuesday after starting forward Joe Caudill picked up his second foul less than two minutes into the game. Caudill sat out the rest of the first half.
“We knew we had an advantage inside, but we had to make some adjustments when (Caudill) picked up his second foul,” Hamilton said. “I thought the guys handled it well.”
Lex breaks away in third
Lexington (20-3) led 34-30 at the half and 34-33 early in the third after Ashland’s Reed Emmons connected on a 3-pointer.
The Minutemen outscored the Arrows (11-11) 21-4 the rest of the period to take a commanding 55-37 lead to the fourth.
“They made some adjustments to the zone we were playing and … it freed up some things and they were able to get some really good looks,” Ashland coach Jason Hess said of Lexington’s third-quarter onslaught. “We quit making shots and that was the big difference in the second half. We really struggled to score.
“It’s a shot-making game and they made shots tonight and we didn’t.”
Seven Allen led Lexington with 21 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists. Fogle had 12 and Gavin Husty added 10, giving Lex four double-figure scorers.
Gabe Baith and Paxon Ediger scored 11 points apiece for the Arrows. Nathan Bernhard added nine points and eight boards.
Lexington will take on third-seeded Sandusky om Friday at 6 p.m. in Willard for a district title and a berth in next week’s Sweet. The Blue Streaks rallied for a 72-58 win over Mansfield Senior in Tuesday’s nightcap.