Roebuck delivers in Raiders' victory

By By Will Bardwell / staff writer
November 10, 2004
When Lamar School needed Austin Roebuck the most, he delivered.
The senior scored 13 of his game-high 28 points in the third quarter as the Raiders topped Wayne Academy 73-37 in their season opener on Tuesday.
Roebuck led a charge that helped Lamar essentially put the game away in the third quarter. The Raiders held a slim 27-22 at halftime, but in the third quarter, Lamar stretched that lead to 17 points.
That third-quarter surge, during which Lamar sank four three-pointers, helped the Raiders nearly double their first-half output. Lamar led 51-34 after scoring 24 points in the third quarter, just three short of their total from the first two quarters.
But offense didn't always come so easy for the Raiders. Lamar jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Jaguars answered with seven straight points for one of two briefly held advantages. Wayne also led 22-21 late in the second quarter, but a Roebuck layup put the Raiders up 23-22, and they never trailed again.
Although Lamar soon put the game out of reach with Roebuck's third-quarter heroics, it wasn't the last time the senior held fans' attentions. Early in the fourth quarter, Roebuck went down hard after missing a slam dunk. The game was stopped for several minutes while trainers tended to Roebuck's knee, but Harber said it was his player's back that took the brunt of his fall.
Roebuck did not return, but his absence paved the way for Matthew Fort and Everette Hill to lead the Raiders to a strong finish. Lamar outscored Wayne 22-3 in the fourth quarter, and after Roebuck's departure, Fort and Hill combined for 11 of the Raiders' final 19 points.
Fort finished with 15 points, and Hill scored 12.
Lamar will host East Rankin Academy on Thursday.
Lady Raiders 48
Lady Jaguars 20
Cheryl Luquire scored 13 points and Lamar rolled past Wayne 48-20 to remain undefeated.
Laura Anne White added nine points, and Semmes Ford chipped in eight for the Lady Raiders, who are now 4-0.
The Lady Raiders never trailed but clinged to a slim 9-7 lead after the first quarter. The game didn't stay close for long, though.
Lamar reeled off 16 second-quarter points and held Wayne scoreless over the rest of the first half for a 25-7 lead at the break, then continued the stifling defense by keeping the Lady Jaguars off the scoreboard for most of the third quarter as well.
Keri Durr banked in a jumper for Wayne with just over three minutes left in the third quarter, ending a 22-0 run for the Lady Raiders.