Free throws frustrate Crystal River

Mychal Nichols dominates at the line in Lecanto's 70-63 win.

By BRIAN SUMERS
Published January 7, 2006

CRYSTAL RIVER - Before every free throw, Mychal Nichols dribbles seven times, mouths the word "swish" and delivers the ball to the basket.

Friday night, in a clutch display of leadership, the senior captain shot 10 free throws in the fourth quarter, making nine.

On the one he missed, Nichols joked he said "brick" instead.

"If you don't say swish, they don't go in," he said, smiling after Lecanto's 70-63 win over Crystal River.

Nichols' impressive fourth quarter - he scored 15 in the final eight minutes - helped the Panthers (11-2, 6-0) stay comfortably atop the standings in Class 4A, District 6.

Almost every time the Pirates (7-7, 4-3) tried to regain momentum late in the game, Nichols stopped it by making free throws.

Crystal River trailed by eight after the third quarter before making a run to cut the deficit to two when Roger Jones made a pair of free throws with 6:31 left.

"We couldn't seem to shake them off," said coach Chris Nichols, Mychal's father.

But with his son in charge, the Panthers started to control the game's pace and pulled away. Lecanto had 27 fourth-quarter points, foiling the Pirates' desire for a methodical, low-scoring game.

Senior Richard Chaney also played well, scoring 12 - all in the second half. Senior Eddie Buckley added 18 points.

The players celebrated the win quietly while chomping on Little Caesars pizza, but they were pleased to defeat one of their county rivals.

Chris Nichols had cut out a recent Times article in which some Pirates said they weren't too worried about the game and placed it on a bulletin board.

"To come into their house and beat them, it shows we're in the drivers seat," senior guard Ryan Blakeslee said.

As for Nichols, making the free throws was no surprise. His father is a basketball coach, so he has been making important shots for years.

"I've been doing this since I was 2 years old," said Nichols, who finished with 23 points. "I go up there and I don't think about it."

[Last modified January 7, 2006, 01:18:53]