It doesn’t get any bigger than this.
In a dramatic turn of events, the Lancers have found themselves in the ultimate rivalry game: A winner-take-all, do-or-die showdown with Marquette for a District Championship on Feb. 24 at Parkway South High School.
“We hate Marquette. It could be a Conference game, Districts, it could be the Meramec Tournament; we hate Marquette. We want to beat them,” senior Kenny Patty said.
It all came together when the Lancers came from behind to secure a 50-49 win against Rockwood Summit and the Mustangs upset top-seeded Parkway South 50-40 on Feb. 22.
Down 42-36 with 4:24 left in the fourth quarter, the Lancers eventually took the lead on a basket and free throw by senior Luke Kreienkamp to set up the championship game.
“There was pressure on me, but with it being and-once we knew we had to get a stop anyway,” Kreienkamp said, “I knew it was going in when it left my hand though.”
This will be the second straight season that the Lancers enter their District matchup with Marquette having won the regular season meeting. They defeated the Mustangs 46-34 at home last year and survived a late rally to win a 78-73 overtime game at Marquette this season.
But the team hopes to avoid what happened last year, a 50-46 loss in the District rematch at Lafayette.
“All the seniors will be giving it our all because we want to play one more,” Kreienkamp said.
“If it could be any way to sort of sum up our high school careers, it would be a win against Marquette,” senior Nick Messer added.
For students also attending the girls District championship game between Lafayette and Parkway South at 5:30 p.m., the Boys Basketball Booster Club will provide Fox’s Pizza to all Lafayette students in the parking lot facing Big Bend Boulevard immediately following the game.
According to Activities Director Steve Berry, the first 100 students to arrive at Parkway South High School and participate in the blackout theme need to see Associate Principal Nisha Patel for a ticket that can be redeemed for a $4 refund. This will serve as reimbursement for game tickets.
Again, the pizza gathering is open to all students but only those given a ticket by Patel will be refunded for game tickets.
The boys District championship game will begin at 8 p.m.
