Lakeland High School’s boys’ basketball team took a win over Hickory High School Tuesday night.

The Cavs are a young team, so wins have not come easily. They have been in some really competitive games with some of the top teams in the area but wound up on the wrong side of the win-loss column. In the first matchup, Hickory was the victor, but the Cavs were determined to make the outcome different this time around.

Lakeland took the second meeting 78-68 on the road Tuesday night. In the first half, the Cavs were getting contributions from the likes of Jaren Reid and Cameron Hargraves. They provided a spark for the Cavs that carried on throughout the rest of the game. Hargraves finished the game with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Reid provided his spark off of the bench and finished with 14 points.

“We came together and played together and got a much-needed win,” sophomore Keimari Artis said. “Everybody did their role, and the win should lead to a confidence builder for us. We were so close to winning games in the past. It made us even hungrier for a win.”

Third quarters had been an Achilles’ heel for the Cavs. In most games, they have not come out in the third quarter as strong as they hoped for. However, Wright gave credit to his coaching staff for having guys ready to play in the third quarter Tuesday night.

“The guys bought into the game plan and what we wanted to do, and we executed for four straight quarters,” Cavs coach Clint Wright said. “The guys came out and played very hard and inspired, and they did it for four quarters. I credit my assistant coaches for giving me ideas and making suggestions for what we could do to have a successful third quarter.”

One thing Wright commends his young team on is having a short memory. The Cavs don’t dwell on losses for very long. They are focused on the present task and what the future looks like. Wright hopes the team can build on the win by sticking to the game plan and each individual playing his role well.

Last Saturday, the Cavs went to go see the Old Dominion University men’s basketball team play as a bonding trip. The team is already a close group, but the trip provided an extra boost for the Cavs coming into the week. They have already started the week with a win over Hickory and will look to make it two in a row on the road against Deep Creek High School at 7 p.m. Friday.