Missed Opportunities

We definitely are going to look back at last night's game with Shade and think about missed opportunities...we missed free throw opportunities, offensive opportunities and defensive opportunities. Most importantly we missed an opportunity to send a huge message to the rest of the West PAC last night with our loss to Shade 63-59.

No Need to Worry...Yet!
Even with the missed opportunities last night, there is still no need to worry about the direction that our season is heading. Once again, I stress that the win/ loss column does not indicate success! I am still extremely excited about how we are continuing to improve as both individuals and as a team. We continue to see positive things out of each and every game. One, we showed again that we have the capability of coming back from a 10 point deficit. Secondly, we showed last night that we are capable of going on the road to play a very good team and performing well. Our shooting is improving with each game and we continue to have guys step up and take shots and make shots in key situations. Our decision making on the court and ball handling is getting better, too.

A Tale of Two Halves
There is a famous saying from Coach Charney that there are 'four quarters to a basketball game'. He is absolutely right. We outplayed Shade last night for about 2 1/2 quarters, outscoring them in the 2nd half to cut their 10 point lead to take a 1 point lead in the 4th quarter. However, missed opportunities at the foul line and our defense did us in at the end. We also learned last night how important it is to get stops on defense, especially in critical times. So, we have showed that we can step up on offense at key times and make baskets, now we must be able to show that we can step up defensively at key times and get stops! We must, however, not take anything away from Shade. Their effort and preperation was excellent, especially on offense. They were disciplined on offense, handled our pressure, set good screens and stuck to their offense and worked for a good shot. Most importantly, they made their free-throws down the stretch by making 10-12 from the line in the 4th quarter, when it mattered most. There is a reason they are undefeated! They have a well balanced team with quality guards and strong post players. We are all starting to understand and see why we are getting beat, now we will have an opportunity to take advantage of a 10 day layoff to dive into the details and really work on some of the most important things.

Attitude is Everything!
Certainly, it is disappointing every time you lose because you go into every game expecting to win and compete at a high level, it does not matter if you are playing Meyersdale, Shade or George Jr. Republic...YOU ALWAYS EXPECT TO WIN! I am still excited with the direction we are heading. We must continue to improve each and every day and learn from each game. We must continue to work hard on our defensive positioning, communication and intensity. Offensively, we need to work on going strong to the basket, drawing contact and getting to the free throw line. Our attitude, togetherness, pride and desire to compete each and every day will determine the outcome of our season. We need to approach each and every practice and game with focus, energy and intesity. I am still excited to find out what we will improve on today!