Lead(holm)ing the team to victory

Cambridge’s Shane Leadholm demonstrated the value that four years of varsity experience gives a basketball player during a Capitol-South Conference matchup versus the Marshall Cardinals Tuesday night. The game was an exciting one with 12 lead changes and was decided by a mere two points. The tight game was no surprise considering the team’s battled through two overtime periods before Marshall won the first meeting.

Leadholm, a dangerous guard, who can control the ball and shoot from anywhere on the floor, was shut down by Marshall’s speedy Luis Acosta for the entire first half and did not score a point. However, the 5’11” senior did not let a frustrating first half deter him.

Trailing by five at halftime, he sparked the Blue Jay’s (6-11 overall, 2-6 conference) in the second half, scoring 12 points including the game winner with 29 seconds on the clock.

Leadholm scored six of his 12 during a crucial 11-2 run to end the third quarter, bringing the Jays within two points going into the fourth. His next big shot gave his team its first lead since early on in the second quarter, connecting on a jumper with 4:11 to play. Leadholm’s reverse layup with less than three minutes to play knotted the game at 52 apiece.

Leadholm’s final two points proved to be the difference in the game when he drove the lane, pulled up and shot over a pair of Cardinal (2-14, 1-6) defenders. He got the shooter’s roll off the front of the rim and gave the Blue Jays a 56-54 lead – the eventual final score.

Granted, Leadholm has certainly played better overall games during his high school career. And on Tuesday other players on his team out performed him – sophomore Nic Bowe scored a game-high 20 points, 12 in second half, and junior guard Adam Gobel scored 12 points including a pair of 3s.

Tuesday, though, each of Leadholm’s six field goals came at a significant point in the game and he was the largest contributor to Cambridge’s comeback win.

Surely, it feels particularly sweet for Leadholm considering he was at the free-throw line with 7.2 seconds left in regulation when the teams played last. He missed both free throws in a tie game. The contest went into double-overtime and the Cardinals eventually won 66-58.

Leadholm didn’t miss when the game was on the line Tuesday. He kept his composure and showed the Cambridge home crowd why he has been a member of the varsity squad the last four years.