Butler tops Lakeside in season's first high school game

Butler's gym was full of eager fans Saturday ready for the season's first high school game!

AugBball Game of the Day

Butler 85, Lakeside 77

AugBall Game Ball co-winners: Drez McBride and Keith Littles

Butler poured in 50 second half points and withstood a late Lakeside rally to win at home 85-77 in the season's first high school game. Junior guads Drez McBride and Keith Littles, who scored 19 and 14 points, respectively, were given the AugBball game ball by me for the way they scored in crucial stretches at the beginning of each half. Behind a barrage of made jumpers by the duo, Butler took an early 10-1 lead before taking a 35-30 advantage into halftime after Lakeside's Kalen Williams, who led all scorers with 30 points, buried a 30 footer just before the second quarter buzzer. McBride and Littles pieced together another stretch of near flawless offense in the third quarter, leading the Bulldogs to a 26 point initial 7 minutes of the third quarter as Butler opened a 61-44 lead.

Williams and company slowly chipped at the lead throughout the final period before Brad Hilley's three and Kresean Hall's open court finish narrowed the margin to 2 at 77-75 with less than a minute remaining. Senior Will Lambert slammed the door shut on Lakeside by first slamming the ball though the rim with two hands off of a feed from fellow senior Deandre Barton immediately after Hall's score, and later sinking two free throws to widen the margin to 8.

Butler had four players in double figures. In addition to McBride's 19 points (3 threes) and the 14 from Littles (2 threes), seniors Barton (17 points) and Christian Robinison (16) contributed nicely, as did Lambert, who dominated the paint, grabbing boards and swatting shots to go with his 9 points.

Hall, Hilley, 6'5" sophomore Tucker Gilbert, and 6'5" senior Deon Berrien all scored 10 points for Lakeside to go with Williams's 30, which included 16 made free throws in 17 attempts.