Life Christian boys down Chief Leschi, 62-45, to extending league winning streak to 52 games

If you thought Life Christian Academy’s extended run atop the 2B Pacific League ended when all-state forward Luke Lovelady graduated and went off to college, guess again.

The Eagles are still the league’s top dog.

Fifth-ranked Life Christian used a fast start to the second half to blow by No. 9 Chief Leschi, 62-45, in Puyallup.

Not only did the Eagles (11-1, 8-0 in 2B Pacific) win their 52nd consecutive league game, they are well on their way to a fourth 2B Pacific title in a row, now up two games on the second-place Warriors (10-3, 7-2), who saw their 10-game winning streak snapped.

Guard Eric Overgaard and Omari Maulana led Life Christian with 18 points apiece. The Eagles’ duo paced the blazing start in the third quarter, combining for 14 of the team’s first 16 points.

Overgaard hit three 3-pointers, including a final one from the top of the key that gave Life Christian a 54-34 lead with 2:25 to go in the quarter.

“I felt like I had to come out and kill it,” the senior guard said. “That is what we needed.”

Life Christian threatened to do the same thing early in the second quarter, going up 22-12. But Donnelle Irvin went on his own 11-1 run in a 1:27 span, eventually tying the game at 23-23 with a deep 3-pointer. He scored 15 points in the quarter — and finished with a game-high 19.

But in the third quarter, as the Eagles made 11 of their first 15 shots from the floor, Chief Leschi had no answer.

“With Keegan (Bitow-Woods) out (injured), I didn’t know how well it would come together in front of a big crowd, and against a really athletic starting five,” Life Christian coach Mark Lovelady said. “I felt our kids responded really well. Tonight, every one of our guys competed.”

It is a remarkable start for Life Christian, considering it has one player in its top 24 that has played more than two years on varsity — senior Dawson Shamp.

But the Eagles have a talented point guard in Maulana, who attacks the basket with unmatched aggression.

“He is tenacious,” Lovelady said. “He feels like he can take anybody.”

Maulana made nine of 26 field goals, but it didn’t really matter since the Eagles got up 72 shots — 24 more than the Warriors.

“I knew losing a lot of seniors would hurt us a little bit,” Overgaard said. “But with the group coming in, I knew we were doing to do something good. And we are again.”

This story was originally published January 6, 2018 at 9:37 PM with the headline "Life Christian boys down Chief Leschi, 62-45, to extending league winning streak to 52 games."