LECANTO - Lecanto coach Chris Nichols hoped the Panthers would play smart and hang tough.
What he wanted was a close game. A chance for Lecanto to, perhaps, pull one out at the end.
"I thought if we could be close with two minutes left, we'd be okay," Nichols said.
Perhaps the coach underestimated his squad.
Lecanto got scoring from nine players Friday as it outhustled, outshot and outfought rival Citrus for a 59-42 victory against the previously unbeaten Hurricanes. Citrus (5-1) outscored its first five opponents by an average of 72-48.
The Hurricanes' lowest output this season had been 66. And that came in an 18-point victory.
"No way did I expect we'd beat them by 17," Nichols said. "They're a good team."
Lecanto (3-2) led by five at the half and stretched the margin to 12 through three quarters. Citrus cut it to single digits only once in the fourth.
Forward Chris Hooper led Lecanto's balanced scoring attack with 13 points. Ryan Blakeslee added 10 and Jonathan Rossi nine.
The Panthers defense, however, was the story.
Lecanto frustrated Citrus throughout the game with its aggressive play and dominance on the boards. Citrus shooting guard Jamaal Galloway scored 16, but no other Hurricane had more than six.
"I think they wanted it more than we did," Hurricanes coach Jimmy Thomas said. "They were much better than us."
Ten Lecanto players saw extensive action. And the subs weren't in only during garbage time. In fact, it was the second group that helped spark the Panthers in the first half after Citrus opened an early lead.
"We had 10 guys who played their hearts out," Nichols said. "Both groups. We can be pretty decent. We're not physically imposing, but boy do they have heart. They played for one another. They came together as a team and did a good job."
