NORTH JUDSON, IN. - Tuesday's victory over Hebron was a big win for LaVille Basketball. The Lancers converted on nearly 50% of its field goals and had balanced scoring in picking up a 70-47 victory and a spot in the semifinals of the 2A Sectional #34 at North Judson. As the next game approaches, LaVille coach Michael Edison and his Lancers find themselves in a similar position. Back in January, LHS was coming off a big win over John Glenn in the championship game of the TCU Bi-County basketball tournament. The next game was against Career Academy South Bend. In that January game, Edison communicated to his team that it is tough after a big win for teams to keep the same intensity and focus. LaVille was able to do that on that cold, winter night in South Bend. On Saturday in the semifinals of the 2A North Judson Sectional, Edison and his team find themselves in a similar situation. Finding a way to keep the same intensity and focus in a rematch with the Trailblazers for a chance to play for a sectional championship. "Yes, this will be a very big test for our team!" Edison said when asked about the CASB challenge. "SBCA is playing some really good ball and will be a very tough game for us. In our first meeting against them we had a 6-8 point lead for much of the game, but we could never pull away too far because of the resilience. They did not give up and kept plugging away. I expect the same out of them tomorrow." The Lancers came out hot in the first half of that first game against CASB, jumping to leads of 22-14 at the end of one quarter and 41-27 at halftime. "We shot the ball very well in that particular game and good shooting is never a guarantee," said Edison. "We will have to come out with some tenacious intensity to have the same outcome as earlier this year." Collin Czarnecki was 11-18 from the field, including four 3-pointers for a game-high 28 points. Michael Good had 18 points, hitting six of nine shots from the floor and 6-8 at the free throw line. Lucas Plummer added 10 points for LaVille, who shot 53% from the floor. Career Academy is no easy win. The Trailblazers can put some points on the board and are led by 6-foot senior guard Tyvon Henry. "They are very talented!" explained Edison. "Henry, #4, can do it all. He leads their team in every category with 21 ppg, 6.5 rpg, and 5.5 apg. He is good at driving, pulling up, or hitting the long ball. He makes everyone around him better. They are all extremely quick and have really good hands. They can get steals in a hurry and can have big runs in a short amount of time." According to Edison, CASB can go deep on the bench "I think we will see some of the same things as we saw before," said Edison. "They rotate players constantly and will play up to 10 different players. They press a lot and have a knack for getting their hands on the ball. They can penetrate and get in the lane and keeping them out will be a key to our success." Over the last eight games, CASB is averaging almost 65 points per game and are 4-4. "It may be an up-tempo game and we will just have to execute on offense and try to make them take tough shots on the offensive end," explained Edison. "We can play an up-tempo game, but we really need to make sure we are valuing the ball and getting the shots we want from the places we are best at." Edison's crew have won five straight games and 11 of 13 heading into the contest with Career Academy. In order to advance to the sectional finale, Edison says his club must, "Take care of the ball, rebound, keep Henry from getting anywhere he wants on the court, and play with confidence and knock down shots." Game on . . . G A M E D A Y IHSAA 2A SECTIONAL #34 At North Judson Semifinal #1 Teams: South Central (Union Mills) (5-16) v. North Judson (21-3) Site: The Nest, North Judson-San Pierre High School Time: 11 a.m. ET Coaches: Eric Speer (9-35 in second year at South Central, 24-118 in seventh year overall). Kent Chezem (50-23 in third year at North Judson, 369-269 in 28th year overall). Last Outing: South Central lost to Westville, 90-47. North Judson defeated Wheeler, 59-30. Series Last 35 years: North Judson leads South Central (UM), 22-6 Last Meeting: North Judson-San Pierre defeated South Central (UM), 74-50, Dec. 10, 2022. All-Time Tournament Series: North Judson-San Pierre leads South Central (UM), 7-2 Stream: https://www.ihsaatv.org/?B=540624 Semifinal #2 Teams: Career Academy (10-12) v. LaVille (15-9) Time: 1 p.m. ET Coaches: Leon Johnson, 10-12 in first year at Career Academy. Michael Edison (215-133 in 15th year at LaVille) Last Outing: Career Academy defeated Tri-Twp, 70-49. LaVille defeated Hebron, 70-47 All-Time Series: LaVille leads Career Academy, 11-0 Last Meeting: LaVille defeated Career Academy, 75-59, Jan. 24, 2023 All-Time Tournament Series: LaVille leads Career Academy, 1-0 Stream: https://www.ihsaatv.org/?B=534290