Blowout victories. A mid-season lull that forced the team to reevaluate itself. Significant changes to the starting lineup.

It's all been part of the turbulent season that Lake boys basketball has experienced.

Still, one that finds them in the midst of a five-game winning streak that's left them with a 14-4 overall record and 10-2 mark in the Northern Buckeye Conference heading into the stretch run of the season.

Lake senior guard Josh Tantari goes up for a score against Otsego at Owens Community College. (Photo courtesy of Innovations Portrait Studio)

Their winning ways have not been without its share of excitement and drama. Of those five wins, four have been by three points or less with three coming on game-winning buckets in the last 10 seconds.

After starting the season 6-0 and outscoring its opponents by an average of 31.1 points, Lake fell on hard times, losing two consecutive games that caused them to reassess where they stood.

That all changed in the days leading up to their Jan. 7 meeting with Otsego, which was the preseason pick to win the league.

“We hit a bit of a lull there,” said Coach Ryan Bowen. “We had a closed-door meeting with the team and talked with them. We challenged them.”

It seems to have worked.

Led by guard Rashad Smith, who had been benched before the contest in an attempt to motivate him, the Flyers responded, rallying from an eight-point deficit to defeat the Knights and win going away, 74-59. Smith was the key, scoring 19 of his game-high 22 points in the second half to lead Lake to victory.

Since then, the team has gone 7-2, good enough to put them in first place by a game over Eastwood (12-5, 9-3 NBC). The two teams play in the regular-season finale in Luckey on Feb. 24, a game that will likely determine the champion, or co-champions.

Come tournament time, the Flyers will be challenged. Seeded and getting a first-round bye, they'll face the winner of the Genoa-Huron game on March 2 at Norwalk High School in the Division II sectional. The Flyers beat Genoa twice this season, including 87-52 early in the season and squeaked by with a victory in their last meeting, 64-62. The Huron Tigers, who the Flyers have not played, are currently tied for second place in the Sandusky Bay Conference with an 11-6 overall record and 8-4 mark in the league.

Since Bowen has taken over, the program has experienced success following four seasons in which the Flyers went a combined 16-61 (7-37 Suburban Lakes League) and finished in sixth place or lower each year in the now-defunct SLL.

Bowen says there are three primary reasons for the program's recent success: He says, for one, this group of upperclassmen, led by Smith, small forward Josh Tantari and center Dylan Hirzel, is a talented bunch that can compete with the likes of the area's best teams.

Second, the offensive philosophy, instilled by Bowen, has changed to that of an up-tempo, run-and-gun style of play that creates plenty of scoring opportunities for the players, something the Flyers have thrived on.

And, third, the team has remained steadfastly focused on playing good, sound defense, the unglamorous but necessary part of the game that a unit must practice if it wants to be successful.

Bowen, a Lake alumnus and Millbury businessman, spoke about his offensive philosophy.

“I wanted (the team) to play faster, get after the ball, press and stress the defensive part,” he said. “I wanted to change Lake basketball. I want (the kids) to get (the ball) and go, take the first open shot; I want the kids to play fast. My philosophy is, 'A bad shot is better than a turnover.' We really look to dribble drive, penetrate and kick it (and) the (players) better be ready to shoot the ball. If you're on the court, it means we trust you.

“A perfect game for me would be for us to take 75 shots. The average team in high school takes 45-50 shots.”

With Smith and Tantari, who are averaging 20 and 13 points, respectively, the Flyers have two primary options on offense, as well as three post players who stand 6-foot-5 (Hirzel, Jayce Vancena, and Marcus Pierce) and can create matchup problems for opponents.

“The good thing about each of those (post players) is that they all provide something,” said Bowen.

He also stressed the quality play of point guard Connor Bowen and shooting guard Jared Rettig.

“Jared and Connor both lead us in steals and charges taken,” said Bowen. “They go after loose balls. They do all the little things that make us successful.”

Connor Bowen, a freshman, who has served as the team's facilitator, has an impressive assist-to-turnover ratio of 77-to-41 and consistently played well throughout the season.

Regardless of what happens in the next few weeks, Bowen says he has immensely enjoyed the season and the people who've been a part of it. From the likes of Smith and Tantari to role players like Marquise Pitts, Nathan Pennington, Ben Swartz and Jake Materni, the coach is quick to praise the players and assistant coaches.

“It's been an enjoyable season — my staff has done a great job,” Bowen said. “I just have a young, energetic staff that does a phenomenal job. It's good when your coaches can be on the same page. They're always doing work in the weight room and with film and scouting.

“(The players) hang out, they respect each other and they want to play for one another,” he said. “It's been a great team effort (this season). We're playing for each other. Hopefully, we can make a nice tournament run.”

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