Evans' size again stops Lakeside

Lakeside entered its second meeting with Evans on Friday having already conceded at least one aspect of the game.

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"We knew we weren't going to have an answer for their size," Panthers coach Ryan Morningstar said.

Lakeside couldn't overcome the obstacle.

Knights center Jaleel Roberts' blocked six shots during the third quarter alone and Evans beat Lakeside 56-41 to remain atop Region 3-AAAA.

The Panthers spent much of the second half trying to shoot over or around Evans' 6-foot-10-inch junior. They made one of 15 shots during the third quarter and shot 28 percent for the game.

"We weren't really hitting," Lakeside senior Rosbie Mutcherson said. "And when we were coming in, (Robrts) was throwing everything."

Evans was without Brandon McCladdie, a standout de-fender who was on a football recruiting visit, but the Knights still had the personnel to let coach Kevin Kenny change looks frequently.

"We play a lot of kids," Kenny said. "We got a lot of different combinations."

The Knights' zone gave the Panthers the most problems, with Roberts clogging the middle. His blocks turned into transition points for Evans.

Kenny said he had warned his team about a possible letdown. The Knights beat then-No. 4 Richmond Academy on Jan. 13 before traveling to play Lakeside.

But Evans kept the pressure on. The Knights, who shot 42 free throws during the win against the Musketeers, attempted 25 free throws Friday, with 21 coming in the second half.

Mutcherson said Lakeside came in wanting to do the same things it had tried to do during a loss to the Knights earlier in the season -- keep Evans forward Tony Davis off the glass and knock down some shots.

The Panthers had trouble doing either. They made five 3-pointers but couldn't find consistency from outside. And the Knights collapsed in their zone when Lakeside tried inside options.

"We picked a bad night to shoot the ball poorly," Panthers coach Ryan Morningstar said.

Roberts played a role in the Panthers' struggles. Mutcherson said the Knights' junior had the Panthers finding creative ways to shoot over him, none of which were effective. During one sequence to start the third quarter, Roberts blocked a shot, threw the ball away, blocked another shot and then forced C.J. Marshall to lob a floater well off the mark.

"That definitely makes them think twice about coming in there," Kenny said.

Evans followed Friday's win by holding off Harlem 54-52 Saturday to improve its region record to 10-1 before playing Butler on Tuesday.