Croyle reaches 1,000 points as Lake girls edge McKinley

There has been plenty of talk about Winter Storm Fern, which blanketed much of the eastern United States over the weekend with snow, ice and sleet. Some meteorologists even went so far as to call the clash of a polar vortex with warm Gulf air a perfect storm.

The Lake girls basketball team had its own perfect storm Jan. 21, minus the ice and snow. Instead, it featured a milestone performance and a game that kept fans on edge until the final buzzer.

When it ended, Lake senior guard Hayden Croyle had surpassed 1,000 career points, helping the Blue Streaks hold on for a 52-48 victory over visiting Federal League rival Canton McKinley.

Not one for theatrics, Croyle reached the mark in the first quarter as Lake jumped out to a 13-7 lead, forcing McKinley to call a timeout. That pause allowed Croyle to be recognized by the crowd and presented with balloons and a game ball.

With the milestone behind her, Croyle and company – particularly Savanna Horning – stayed aggressive, eventually doubling up McKinley 34-17 by halftime.

The Bulldogs responded in the second half, tightening their defense and steadily chipping away at the deficit. With just over two minutes remaining, McKinley tied the game at 44-44.

Kaitlyn Josef answered for Lake with a go-ahead layup, and free throws by Josef, Croyle and Horning down the stretch sealed the win as the Blue Streaks closed the game on an 8-4 run.

Croyle finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, six steals and six assists. Horning added 24 points – including five 3-pointers – along with seven rebounds and two steals. Lake moved ahead of McKinley in the Federal League standings while splitting the season series. Mya Taylor scored 17 points for the Bulldogs (9-8, 6-4).

Two days later, Lake remained home to host Jackson in another league matchup. This time, the outcome went the other way as the Polar Bears used a 19-6 run to break a 34-34 tie and clinch the Federal League title.

Horning scored 18 points to lead Lake (10-8, 6-4), while Croyle added 12. Ashley Helle paced Jackson (14-1, 10-1) with 20 points, and Ava Kouri chipped in 15.

Boys basketball

Cold weather disrupted Lake’s schedule as the Jan. 20 game at Minerva was postponed because of a cold weather advisory and school closures. The game has been rescheduled for Feb. 17.

On Jan. 23, Lake held visiting Jackson nearly 20 points below its season average of 62.6 points per game, but the Polar Bears still came away with a 43-32 victory.

Jackson led just 26-24 entering the fourth quarter before outscoring the Blue Streaks 17-8 to hand Lake its fifth straight loss and seventh in eight games.

Logan Miller led Lake (5-10, 1-7) with 14 points. Ethan O’Byrne scored 16 points for Jackson (9-5, 5-3).