La Conner zaps Chargers with late scoring blitz

The second half was La Conner’s better half at Shoreline Christian last Friday.

The Braves wed clutch perimeter shooting with tough defense after the break to escape with a hard-fought 66-54 NW2B road triumph.

Scott Lindeman buried three deep treys and knocked down four free throws in the final stanza en route to a game-high 24-point effort.

Lindeman keyed a 20-9 closing spurt for the shorthanded Braves, who played without starting front-liner Budda Luna, sidelined by the flu.

Cameron Hansen also finished in double digits for the Braves, tallying 18 points, half on three-pointers.

In the absence of Luna, Jeffrey Johnson provided La Conner with a strong inside presence down the stretch. Johnson netted eight points and reeled in five rebounds, all after intermission.

Tyrell Bonner led Shoreline with 21 points. Harry Tang chipped in another 12 for the hosts.

“They have some guys who can score, and it’s always a tough gym to play in,” La Conner head coach Scott Novak said of the Chargers. “In the end, it came down to our defensive intensity late in the game.”

La Conner gave up no points in the paint during the final eight minutes. Shoreline was held to one triple apiece from Bonner, Tang, and Nate Monillas in the fourth quarter.

The Braves responded with 13 points from Lindeman alone, plus a pair of Johnson scores in the paint and a hoop and free throw from Hansen.

With the win, La Conner maintained its perfect league slate at 12-0.

For awhile, however, an upset didn’t seem out of the question. Shoreline hung with the Braves in the early going, trailing just 32-29 at intermission.

The Chargers pulled within 46-45 at the end of three quarters.

A main reason was Shoreline’s ability to curb La Conner’s transition game early on. The Braves forced just nine turnovers on the night, thus limiting open court scoring opportunities.

As a result, board work by Johnson and Harrison Orkney became all the more vital in igniting La Conner fast breaks.

Orkney cleared seven rebounds and scored five points, doing most of his damage in the first half, when La Conner clung to its slim lead.

The Braves, 15-3 overall, wrap up regular season action this week. La Conner entertained Concrete late Tuesday and visits second place Friday Harbor on Friday.

In related notes:

• Four Braves sank three-pointers at Shoreline. Lindeman led the way with four. Hansen hit three. Riley Stewart added two more, both in the second quarter. Brady Nelson meshed a long trey just after halftime.

• Reserve forward Scottie Miller continued his solid play of late. Miller scored two points and grabbed a pair of rebounds during a stint that bridged the second and third periods.