Gilmour wanted to slam on the gas at the start of the second quarter against NDCL on Dec. 27. The Lancers led by three points after the first quarter. A run in the first four minutes of the second pushed the lead to double digits and sealed the game for Gilmour, taking the victory, 81-72. The Lancer s remain perfect on the season, moving to 6-0. NDCL falls to 3-5. The two traded buckets early as Brody Durham led the Lancers and Brendan Hernan did the same for NDCL. Hernan had six quick points, and a 3-pointer from Jack Sonby had NDCL in the lead. Then the Lancers got going offensively. Aiden Anders corralled a loose ball for an offensive rebound and found Luke Kaprosy, who kicked it to the opposite wing for a Mike Holt triple. PHOTOS: Gilmour vs. NDCL boys basketball, Dec. 27, 2025 Kaprosy then made a 3-pointer to take the lead. Coach Dan DeCane said having offensive versatility with several players who can do the same job helps when a team has a player like Hernan that can control the scoring and the boards. "Offensively, we were trying to attack when we had numbers, which we created since they pressured us," DeCrane said. "I didn't think we did a great job early on of taking him away well. Everything we did in pregame and in our preparation for, he just did what he wanted." The Lancers' run started on the first possession of the second quarter, as Durham found Anders for a lay-in and on the next possession, Durham had an up-and-under of his own. A bucket from Joey DiNovo and a Holt and-one look had Gilmour in the midst of a 9-2 run that opened the frame. "I think we just tried to start attacking more," Durham said. "I feel like we settled a little too much in the first. Once we started to attack them, we were getting trips to the free-throw line and layups, which is what we want. Getting a run going then makes those opportunities from further out." NDCL started to push back into the game as Luke Keep and Matt Wojciechowski had buckets to cut into the deficit. But then Durham started to find his way to the free-throw line. He was 9-for-9 from the line in the first half and finished going 16-for-18 with 38 points to lead the charge. "It's just all been the work that I've put in," Durham said. "I think it showed today. It was all about attacking, and they just kept fouling, so I was converting any way I could find." Holt added 13 points with Kaprosy at nine, and Henderson at seven. But NDCL made a charge in the fourth as they tried to spark a comeback. Wesley Jacobson had a pair of 3-pointers to start the frame but Gilmour answered with a Kaprosy 3-pointer, and Henderson split his free throws. Hernan found Jason Rook for an and-1 opportunity but Durham had a response with a drive of his own. No matter what NDCL tried to spark a run with, Gilmour had an answer. "We have a lot of talent, I thought the more talented player won, but they outplayed us," DeCrane said. "We have a ceiling, I mean, it's there but we have to commit to doing the small things. I didn't like how we played at a pace and I though that was kind of a difference but we didn't play smart." Jacobson had a pair of layups on back-to-back possessions, the latter coming in the backcourt for a numbers advantage for NDCL. Rook and Jack Sonby hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final two minutes that made it a 77-70 deficit for the Lions. But yet again, it was Durham with the answer. He had a drive in the open paint and drew contact on the finish for the and-one opportunity that he converted. NDCL coach Steve Steinmetz liked the Lions' fight but knows that they need to get other scoring options going earlier in the contest. Outside of Hernan, who had 16 in the first half, the next highest was five. "That was our problem in the beginning," Steinmetz said. "Getting everyone balanced, we just have to keep working very hard every day to try and keep that. That's usually been a plus for us the last week or so, getting the scorebook filled up. We just didn't do it as well as we could have tonight." Hernan finished with 23 and 10 rebounds, and Jacobson had 17 and Sonby had 14. NDCL aims to regroup in the new year with a return to NCC play against CVCA on Jan. 2. Gilmour has a tall task and a quick turnaround, playing Brunswick on Dec. 29. The score (Dec. 27) Gilmour 81, NDCL 72 ...read more read less