‘Wild horse’ scores 28 as Deer Lakes beats Derry for 5th straight win
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Tuesday, December 19, 2023 | 10:02 PM
Deer Lakes’ Wayne Love celebrates after scoring next to Derry’s Stanley Rajkovich during their game on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, at Derry Area.
Deer Lakes’ Wayne Love works against Derry’s Stanley Rajkovich during their game on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, at Derry Area.
Deer Lakes’ Wayne Love dunks against Derry on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, at Derry Area.
Deer Lakes’ Wayne Love celebrates after scoring against Derry on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, at Derry Area.
Deer Lakes’ Collin Rodgers scores past Derry’s John Wasnick during their game on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, at Derry Area.
Deer Lakes’ Billy Schaeffer (20) and J.T. McCue celebrate with Collin Rodgers after he was fouled while scoring during their game on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, at Derry Area.
Deer Lakes’ Billy Schaeffer scores past Derry’s John Wasnick during their game on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, at Derry Area.
Deer Lakes’ Aiden Fletcher scores past Derry’s John Wasnick during their game on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, at Derry Area.
Derry’s Stanley Rajkovich drives to basket against Deer Lakes on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, at Derry Area.
Derry’s Stanley Rajkovich celebrates after hitting a three-pointer against Deer Lakes on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, at Derry Area.
Derry’s Stanley Rajkovich scores against Deer Lakes on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, at Derry Area.
Deer Lakes’ Collin Rodgers scores past Derry’s John Wasnick during their game on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, at Derry Area.
Deer Lakes’ Wayne Love celebrates after scoring next to Derry’s John Wasnick during their game on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, at Derry Area.
Deer Lakes’ Wayne Love scores against Derry’s Brady Angus on Tuesday.
Deer Lakes’ Wayne Love celebrates after scoring next to Derry’s Stanley Rajkovich during their game on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, at Derry Area.
Deer Lakes’ Wayne Love celebrates after scoring next to Derry’s Stanley Rajkovich during their game on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, at Derry Area.
Deer Lakes welcomed reserve forward Nate Moore back to the lineup Tuesday night following a football injury.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound junior’s return helped one of his teammates have a career night.
You might say the Lancers shared the Love.
Senior forward Wayne Love scored a career-high 28 points on 14-of-18 shooting — 18 in the second half — as the No. 1-ranked Lancers feasted on fast breaks and held back Derry, 71-61, in a Section 3-3A boys basketball game.
“Getting Nate Moore back allowed Wayne to get out in transition more,” Deer Lakes coach Albie Fletcher said. “He adds a different dynamic for us.”
And as for 6-3, 200-pound Love, coach?
“It allowed us to let that wild horse go.”
Senior Billy Schaeffer and sophomore Collin Rodgers added 11 points each for the Lancers (6-1, 2-0), who have won five straight.
Love had 10 in a back-and-forth fourth quarter, going 5 for 6 from the floor and finishing fast breaks as the Lancers held off Derry’s second-half momentum.
Derry (5-2, 0-1) could not dig out of an early hole. The Trojans scored 13 points in the first half and 48 in the second.
Look at is like this: Deer Lakes had 57 points and Derry had 56 over the last three quarters.
The lead reached 17 in the third, at 38-21, on a basket by Love.
Love scored on a break to make it 69-56 with about two minutes remaining.
“We did a really nice job of getting out and pushing,” Fletcher said. “When we get a rebound, we want to go as soon as we can. Derry played really good defense. They dug in. We didn’t want them to get settled.”
Derry never had more than a 4-0 run.
Deer Lakes maintained a double-digit lead until the fourth when the Trojans cut it to nine twice, the last time at 58-49 on a layup by Senior Nate Papuga, who came in averaging 30 points.
Deer Lakes kept the advantage at 10 or better over the final four minutes.
Junior J.T. McCue added 10, and Moore chipped in seven for the defending WPIAL champions and PIAA runners-up.
“Nate is a big boy who played a big part in the state final last year,” Love said. “He can dish it out. We were able to push it more tonight. Tempo is a big part of our game.”
Four players scored in double figures for Derry. Papuga, freshman Stanley Rajkovich and senior Brady Angus each scored 16, and junior John Wasnick chipped in 12.
The Trojans had won four straight.
“We had some good looks early, but the ball didn’t go in the hole,” Derry coach Tom Esposito said. “They didn’t do anything we didn’t expect. We were passive in the first half, but we attacked more and got downhill in the second half.”
Rajkovich looked impressive at times as the versatile 6-5 forward pitched in 11 rebounds and eight blocks.
He scored 10 in the second quarter, and Papuga had nine on three 3s.
Angus had seven in the fourth.
The Lancers jumped out to a 14-5 lead after the first quarter and pushed the margin to 14 (27-13) at the half.
Rodgers hit a 3, then scored off a steal to end the half for Deer Lakes.
“Give credit to Love,” Esposito said. “If you’d have told me before the game we’d hold Schaeffer and Rodgers to 22 (combined) points, I’d probably say we win that game.”
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Deer Lakes, Derry Area
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