Boys Hoops: Preuss Leads Panas to Victory

The are the premier event in the Lakeland School District every year.

This year was no exception.

In front of a standing-room only crowd at Walter Panas High School on Saturday night where they had to shoehorn fans in from both schools right up to the last row, Panas' senior captain Zac Preuss gave them something to remember on senior night.

With the thunderous Panther faithful chanting MVP throughout the game, Preuss showed that he deserved the praise by scoring a game-high 20 points in leading the Panthers to a 68-58 triumph against the Hornets.

For Panas (9-7), it was the third-straight victory over Lakeland in the Giglio Games.

"It's the best feeling in the world," Preuss said. "That's all we play for -- we play to beat Lakeland (7-9). Next time we play them (4:15 p.m. Feb. 9 at Lakeland), it will be the same type of intensity."

Panas played with that intensity from the outset, as it jumped out to an 18-10 first-quarter lead, a lead built largely on excellent long-range shooting.

Preuss led the charge by draining two bombs from downtown, with Matt Czuy and Tyler Mason also connecting from beyond the arc.

"All year we have been able to score a lot in the first half," Panas coach Shawn Sullivan said. "We have a lot of good shooters. It showed tonight. We made four 3s in the first quarter. It just kind of the way we have been playing all year."

Panas continued to maintain its lead by outscoring Lakeland 14-12 in the second quarter to give itself a 32-22 half-time advantage.

However, Lakeland assistant coaches Joe Chiara, Jason Weltman and Rob DiToma came up with a plan at half-time that helped the Hornets slowly cut the Panthers' lead. It was a lead that Lakeland's Ben Dedvukaj cut to one, 44-43, with a 3-pointer in the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Lakeland coach Henry Weltman said all the credit for getting back in the game goes to his assistant coaches and players for heeding their advice.

"The coaching staff and not including me offensively made a great adjustment in the locker room at the half and my kids responded very well," Weltman said. "So offensively we got our act more together in the second half because of the coaching staff and we played better defense in the second half, we played with more intensity."

The Hornets' second-half intensity though wasn't enough to slow the Panthers down. 

Mason, who registered 12 points and 10 rebounds, made a strong move to the hoop, scored, got fouled on the play and then made the ensuing foul shot to put Panas up 52-47 with 3:37 left in the game.

Lakeland after that point never got to within two again.

"Tyler Mason came through big-time for us," Preuss said. "He was very clutch with the one which gave our whole team a lot of spirit. It was a very big play."

Getting key rebounds like Mason did was one of the deciding factors in the game according to the Lakeland coach.

"They out-rebounded us in crucial situations, especially in the fourth quarter, and the foul shooting," Henry Weltman said. "We were terrible at the foul line tonight (16 for 30). Those two factors in the end were the difference in the ballgame."

Sullivan agreed that rebounding was a key factor as well.

"We had a few key offensive rebounds which helped us extend our lead and a few key defensive rebounds which enabled us to get on the break two or three times to score so I think it really came down to rebounding," Sullivan said.

Point totals

Lakeland-Matt Tartaglia (13), Dan Eremita (13), Alex Perlman (10), Ben Dedvukaj (8), Tyler Troppmann (7), Matt Wright (4), Erik Schneider (3).

Panas-Zac Preuss (20), Tyler Mason (12), Jimmy Jackson (11), Vaughn Dweck (10), Ruben Rosado (6), Javier Thompson (5), Matt Czuy (3), Corey Dean (1)

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