Reed was severely outsized by McQueen on Friday night in the Rail City Classic consolation bracket at Sparks High but gave the Lancers a fight early.
The Raiders led by as much as six in the second quarter. Then the Lancers’ hit a couple triples at the end of the first half and their size took over in the second as they ran away with a 68-44 victory.
Reed fell to 2-5 on the season while McQueen improved to 5-2.
“We gave up so many second-chance points off offensive rebounds and we got away from what made us successful in the first 14 minutes of the game, scoring in transition and knocking down open shots,” Reed coach Zach Sanford said. “Then shots didn’t fall and we weren’t running.”
The majority first half went back and forth with nine ties and eight lead changes.
Reed grabbed its largest lead of the game, 25-19, on a traditional three-point play from Jeremy Ramos with 3:37 left in the first half.
McQueen, however, closed on a 16-4 run to take a 35-29 lead to the break—its largest lead of the half.
The one-sided finish to the half was led by Garrett Ill, who accounted for 10 of the Lancers’ final 16 points on his own. He had 13 points at the half and did not score again.
“We came out and we were aggressive and I was proud of them but right at the end of the half we lose guys in transition, they knock down a couple threes,” Sanford said. “At that point, it’s tough sledding.”
Holding a six-point edge, McQueen started the third quarter on a 10-3 run to go up 45-32, a comfortable margin with Reed’s shooters struggling. The Raiders trailed just 51-39 after three but were outscored 17-5 in the fourth.
“They’re a well-coached defensive team,” Sanford said. “They’re in you from tip to the final buzzer and you’re not going to get many open looks … It was a tough day shooting.”
Ramos led the Raiders with 12 points and Lincoln Turner finished with nine.
Reed held 6-10 center Ocatavian Corely in check early but the North Valleys transfer scored 11 points in the fourth to finish with a game-high 17.
The Raiders conclude their stay in the Rail City Classic Saturday morning against Skyline (Calif.). Opening tip at Sparks is at 10 a.m.
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