Jake Broeske and Jackson Goebel left no doubt.
The pair each scored 15 points in the second half of Lomira's 78-54 home nonconference win against Ripon on Monday night.
Broeske finished with a game-high 26 points with all of his scoring coming either from the paint or at the free-throw line. Ripon (0-2) struggled to match up with the 6-foot-9 junior.
"You don't get that size and athleticism very often," Lomira coach Dan Domask said. "He's improving. He has a long way to go, but I'll take what he's delivered to us so far."
Broeske also led all scorers in Lomira's first game, a 30-point outing against Kettle Moraine Lutheran.
Lomira (2-0) led 35-21 at halftime and led by as many as 30 during the second half. Ripon tightened the game up near the start of the second half, using a 10-2 run to close the gap to 13.
Goebel scored the next 6 points for the Lions with all the points coming in transition.
"It's nice to have a literal quarterback on your basketball team," Domask said. "I'm trying to figure out his game yet, we're relatively new, but he's delivered pretty well for us in the first two games.
"I've got to keep figuring out how to use him best and get the most out of his skillset."
Goebel was aggressive in the second half, driving hard to the hoop and trying to earn trips to the line, which he did.
He finished 9-for-10 from the line and was perfect on eight attempts in the second half.
"To see the ball go through the hoop gets my 3-point shot going and obviously when I get downhill and drive, that helps as well," Goebel said.
Goebel's success at the line was a microcosm of Lomira as a team, for the Lions went 25-for-32 from the line.
Broeske said the guards' ability to drive not only results in fouls and free throws, but it can also take pressure off of him down low.
"When they draw defenders it's easy for me to just seal my guy, then I can be wide open one-on-one in the post and I'll take that any day," Broeske said. "It's just nice to have them when I get doubled in the post and kick out to them because I know they're good shooters."
Lomira made four 3-pointers in the game, two of them coming from Goebel.
Defensively, the Lions held Ripon scoreless for the first 4:10 of the game. However, Lomira also racked up seven fouls by the 10:41 mark in the first half.
From that point, Lomira only fouled two more times in the half and limited Ripon's trips to the line.
"We're trying to put some pressure on the ball like most good teams do," Domask said. "That's an art and we have to develop habits with our kids and some kids have picked up a little faster than others.
"Just encouraging kids to play defense with their feet, there's nothing too novel about that, but it's so tempting for them to go after the ball and that's where the fouls are called."
Sophomore Keegan Kell was Lomira's third leading scorer on the night with 9 points. Through the first two games, both Kell and fellow sophomore Charlie Cole have stepped in as the third scoring option.
Domask said the biggest leap for young players at the varsity level is defensive intensity and ball security.
"Being able to compete on a varsity court requires them to have that physicality and mindset and never taking a moment off," Domask said.
PHOTO GALLERY: Ripon at Lomira boys basketball - 12/2/2024
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