Second-half surge sends Lawrence Tech to 76-64 setback at Cornerstone

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Lawrence Tech carried a one-point lead into halftime, but a hot-shooting second half from Cornerstone (MI) turned a tight game into a 76-64 setback for the Blue Devils on Saturday afternoon at Mol Arena.

The matchup swung decisively after the break, when Cornerstone outscored Lawrence Tech 45-32 and used a series of perimeter shots to create separation. The Golden Eagles’ biggest blow came midway through the second half, as Kayden Bird drilled a 3-pointer with 5:49 remaining to push the margin to 71-48, the largest lead of the game. Lawrence Tech continued to battle and trimmed the deficit to 13 on a late 3-pointer by Vuk Zarubica that made it 73-60 with 2:31 to play, but Cornerstone closed it out at the free-throw line in the final minute.

Bird led all scorers with 28 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc and 5-of-6 at the stripe. His timely shooting fueled multiple Cornerstone runs, including a 3-pointer late in the first half that moved the hosts in front 31-26 before the break. Blake Stewart added 12 points and four rebounds for the Golden Eagles, while Andy Mora narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and eight assists as Cornerstone finished with 20 assists on 27 field goals.

Lawrence Tech’s first-half effort put the Blue Devils in position to steal a road win. After Bird’s late triple put Cornerstone up five, the Blue Devils responded with a strong closing stretch capped by Lake McIntosh’s layup in the final seconds of the half, sending Lawrence Tech into the locker room with a 32-31 lead. The Blue Devils’ activity on the glass was a major factor, as Lawrence Tech grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and finished with a 47-40 edge on the boards.

Cold perimeter shooting, however, ultimately undercut that work. Lawrence Tech shot 33.3% from the field (24-for-72) and 22.6% from 3-point range, going 7-for-31 from deep. By contrast, Cornerstone connected on 44.3% of its shots and 39.1% from long distance, knocking down 9 of 23 attempts from beyond the arc. The Golden Eagles also held a slight edge at the line, finishing 13-for-18 compared with the Blue Devils’ 9-for-14.

Offensively, Lawrence Tech spread the scoring. Michael Afrakoff and Davin Walker paced the Blue Devils with 13 points apiece. Afrakoff went 4-for-11 from the field with three 3-pointers, adding two rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes. Walker provided an interior and midrange presence, shooting 4-for-10 with one 3-pointer and a 4-for-6 mark at the line, while pulling down six rebounds in 23 minutes. Luka Uzelac added 11 points as Lawrence Tech worked to stay within striking distance in the second half.

Defensively, the Blue Devils limited their own mistakes, committing just nine turnovers compared with Cornerstone’s six, and finished with four blocks and two steals. But the Golden Eagles’ efficient shooting and late-game execution proved to be the difference in front of an announced crowd of 202, with officials Quincy Jones, Aaron Boersma and Dylan Herendeen on the whistles. The performance on the glass and balanced scoring offer positives for Lawrence Tech to build on as the Blue Devils move deeper into the conference slate.