LCA’s Anna Reimink slashes to the basket against Elkhart Christian Saturday in the opening round of the Bethany Christian tournament. (Photo by Mike Deak)

WATERFORD MILLS – It wasn’t the banner day that Lakeland Christian Academy had planned. Taking part in both the boys and girls brackets of the Bethany Christian basketball tournament, LCA found the sledding very rough, ending its day heading down a muddy, muddy hill.

The LCA boys suffered two defeats to future opponents, losing to Elkhart Christian Academy 74-40 in the morning session, then coming back only to fall to former coach Joel Burrus and South Bend Trinity, 48-37, in the nightcap.

The LCA girls were part of a little tournament history, going to overtime with ECA for the first time in the girls tournament history before getting a 43-40 win. In the championship game, Bethany knocked off LCA for the second time this season with a 37-28 final.

The Lady Cougars were involved in a wild one with ECA. LCA was well on its way to a blowout early on, forcing ECA into a half-dozen turnovers in the first five minutes of the game and taking an 8-2 lead. But as the game wore on, LCA got out of rhythm and ECA mounted its comeback.

A Precious Swen jumper pulled the Eagles within two points at 34-32, and following just one make in four tries by LCA at the line, Swen was the hero again, drilling a three with four seconds left in the game to tie the contest at 35.

The first overtime in the 67 collective games of the girls tournament (spanning nine-plus years), LCA got a key offensive rebound and two from Anna Reimink, and Hope Fancil made three free throws to put the Cougars out of reach.

“Anna has become very important in our offense,” said LCA head coach Allison Kauffman following the ECA win. “She does a great job attacking, and while she is somewhat hesitant to shoot the ball, she moves the ball around well to girls like Jess Slone and Hope who can knock down those shots.”

Fancil finished with 14 points, six boards, three steals, three blocks and two assists in the contest while Reimink had seven points, seven rebounds and five steals. Slone added 10 points, five boards and four steals.

Swen and Abbey McKibbin each finished with 10 points for the Eagles.

In the night game, a 13-4 Bethany start was a difference maker, as the Bruins took an eight-point lead into the lockerroom and maintained the sizable advantage the rest of the way.

Slone would lead LCA with 13 points and seven rebounds and Fancil again filled the sheet with eight points, five boards, four blocks and two steals.

The nemesis for LCA in blue and white again was Anya Kauffman, who dropped in 12 points and had Tarynn Clark contribute nine points in the championship effort.

The boys from Winona Lake really struggled in slowing down Weston Sage and the Eagles. By the half, Sage had already accumulated 11 points and eight rebounds, and continued on in the second half, finishing with 20 points and 12 boards. Gabe Arter dropped in 18 points and Luke Burns had 14 points in the winning effort.

LCA kept pace into the second quarter, trailing just 23-19 at one point, but found themselves down 36-24 at the break, and came out with just two points in the deciding third quarter.

Josh McDaniel had 18 points and Landon Twombly scored eight points in his return to the lineup.

“We just weren’t doing the little things today,” said LCA boys coach Chris Hohm after the ECA loss. “Little things like pulling down a clean rebound, setting screens, moving without the ball. We showed we could battle early on with them, but then our shooting went completely flat in the third quarter and we couldn’t make up that much ground.”

A matchup with Burrus and South Bend Trinity, which LCA will face in game one of its LCA Classic later this month, saw Trinity double up LCA at the half, 24-12, and never look back.

Seth Pingel paced Trinity with 21 points while Mike Florih hit four from long range and Liam Hunsberger chipped in 10 points.

McDaniel again led the Cougars with 22 points.

The championship game saw ECA take down BC 48-40. Sage and Jakob Maxwell each finished with 11 points while Lucas Brownsberger-Keyes led the Bruins with 17 points. Bethany got to the final by beating Trinity 29-27, paced by Seth Brenneman’s 15 points.

McDaniel, Slone and Fancil were named to the All-Tournament Teams from LCA. Sage and Kauffman were named tourney MVPs.

The Lady Cougars head into the LCA Classic Dec. 28 and 29 with a 7-5 mark while the Cougars are 3-5. Both teams will play two games in pool play on the 28th, then come back for the place games on the 29th. The boys will play at Grace College and the girls at LCA on the 28th, and all place games on the 29th will take place at Grace.