NORTH JUDSON, IN. - As LaVille and Career Academy South Bend warmed up prior to the Class 2A Sectional #34 semifinal Saturday, one knew it was going to be a good one. Coach Michael Edison's Lancer club had won five in a row and 11 of 13 games to close the season. The Trailblazers were playing good ball and averaging nearly 69 points per game over the final eight games of the season. A couple of crucial spurts proved to be the difference as Career Academy picked up a 71-62 victory over LaVille in high school basketball at 'The Nest' at North Judson-San Pierre. With the score tied at 44-44 and 23.5 seconds remaining in the third quarter, then into the fourth stanza, CASB went on a 10-0 run during a crucial 3:59 stretch to take a 54-44 lead. LHS rallied to close the deficit to four points on three occasions before Career Academy hit 9 of 10 free throws over the final 2:12 of the game to secure the win. "There were quite a number of runs throughout the game and that run by South Bend Career Academy didn't help us out any," Edison said when asked about the game. "It seemed everything they were shooting was falling down and we were in a little bit of a slump at that time." Collin Czarnecki and Michael Good hit crucial shots to keep LaVille within striking distance in the final minutes of the game, but a 7-0 burst helped the Trailblazers turn a 60-56 lead into a 67-56 advantage. “They are very talented!” explained Edison. “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.” Career Academy was successful in penetrating and pulling up for mid-range to short jumpers and crash the boards or kick the ball out. "South Bend Career Academy had a good game plan," said Edison. "They executed very well, were very disciplined, and rebounded extremely well. It is hard to beat a good team twice in a year. I thought our guys were mentally ready to go, but we just didn't execute the best throughout the game." There were 12 lead changes and six ties throughout the game, with the last tie at 44-all. CASB placed three players in double figures - Jacari Spates led the Trailblazers with 20 points, Tyvon Henry added 17 and Kalien Allen had 16 to lead the offense. "We had a number of players who had good stretches in the game, but it was just not quite enough," said Edison. "I wish we would've done a better job boxing out and getting a body on some of their players throughout the game as I feel that would've made a difference. Our guys played very hard, but we just fell a little short." LaVille, who led by four points twice early in the contest, took a 30-29 lead on a one-and charity tosses by Czarnecki before halftime. But, CASB went on a mini-run to take a 36-34 halftime lead when Jacari Spates hit a 3-pointer and Kevin Carouthers closed the scoring with a basket with under a minute remaining. LaVille was led by Czarnecki with 22 points, Michael Good had 20 and Owen Smith chipped in with 12. Career Academy avenged a 75-59 loss to the Lancers back on January 24. The Lancers graduate five seniors - Ryan James, Owen Smith, Ross Wagoner, Collin Allen and Noah Rush - off a team that closed the season at 15-10 overall and 4-3 in the Hoosier North. "This group of seniors is an amazing bunch!" Edison concluded. "I loved going to practice each and every day with them because they were focused, played hard, and were always trying to get better. All of these guys are going to be dearly missed. It was a tough way to end this season as we all believe that we could go further." IHSAA CLASS 2A SECTIONAL #34 At North Judson-San Pierre HS Career Academy 71, LaVille 62 Score By Quarters CASB 18 36 46 71 LaVille 16 34 44 62 CASB – Jacari Spates 20, Tyvon Henry 17, Kalien Allen 16, Kevin Carouthers 6, Jaren Kenny 2, Ashton Murray 0, Tony Blackwell 2, Elijah Winston 6, Quincy Bradshaw 2. Totals: 27 13-18 71 LaVille – Lucas Plummer 8, Ryan James 0, Owen Smith 12, Ross Wagoner 0, Collin Allen 0, Collin Czarnecki 22, Michael Good 20. Totals: 25 7-8 62 3-point field goals: CASB 4 (Spates 2, Henry, Allen), LaVille 5 (Czarnecki 5). Total fouls (fouled out): CASB 12 (Winston), LaVille 11 (none)