Academy Park’s Shermik Lofton, right, started slow but finished strong as usual to lead the Knights to a 71-60 Del Val League victory over Chichester Thursday night. (Pete Bannan/Digital First Media)
By Matthew DeGeorge
Shermik Lofton knew from the scouting report Thursday night that he’d have a chance to make a difference against an undersized Chichester squad. But a rough start shooting didn’t bear that out.As Lofton stuck with it, on the defensive end and on the boards, it wasn’t hard to see the evening as a microcosm of the Academy Park senior’s season. He’d started the campaign, in which he’d be relied on as a featured scorer for the first time, with several underwhelming outings. But with time and patience, Lofton has picked up his game.
Thursday was no different, Lofton scoring 20 points and grabbing 13 rebounds as AP handled Chichester, 71-60, in a frenetic and error-strewn Del Val contest.
“I started off slow and I make sure I finish strong at the end,” Lofton said. “I always try to finish strong. Sometimes you come out in a game slow, but it’s about how you put it together, though.”