Lopsided second half dooms KVA against Lighthouse Christian Homeschool
By Brandon White
bwhite@hendersondispatch.com; 252-436-2840
Jan 09, 2020 9:36 PM
HENDERSON — A solid first half for the Kerr-Vance Academy Spartans boys basketball team against the Lighthouse Christian Homeschool Eagles would devolve into a disappointing second half that saw them sustain an 87-71 loss Thursday.
Spartans head coach Brandon Dickerson knew that it would be a tall order to defeat the Eagles, but admitted that the overall lack of depth on the roster is what hindered them more than anything that occurred on offense and defense.
“When you play with six guys, it’s hard to run,” Dickerson said. “[The Eagles] like to run and play quick, but I just think we wore out toward the end. We fought hard and played good, so I’m proud of my team tonight.”
After starting off slow, the Spartans increased their tempo and began to aggressively drive the ball to the basket, which allowed them to establish a comfortable lead over the Eagles.
The momentum would only be temporary for the Spartans, as the Eagles quickly adapted to the fast pace to erase their deficit and took a 21-20 lead shortly before time expired in the first quarter.
The next eight minutes of competition saw the Spartans and Eagles exchange numerous ties and lead changes until the latter finally gained the upper hand and pulled ahead by a score of 45-40 at halftime.
Despite holding their own with the Eagles in the first half, the Spartans began to falter in the third quarter as the Eagles’ consistency behind the three-point line enabled them to build a double-digit lead.
The Spartans gradually began to shake off the rust and kept exploiting the Eagles’ weaknesses underneath the rim, but every successful layup or jump shot would be countered by a two-pointer or three-pointer on the other end of the court, which kept the lead out of reach for the Spartans.
With the Spartans growing more fatigued in the fourth quarter, the Eagles maintained their efficiency beyond the arc and began to drive the ball underneath the rim to formally close out the evening with a convincing victory over one of the top teams in the NCISAA Coastal Conference.
Dickerson said that an active rotation of just six players requires him to be mindful of his game plan and the amount of minutes each player uses, but regardless of the disadvantages the Spartans face in terms of depth, he believes that the passion his team displays has been what has made them competitive all year long.
“You have to play under control and try not to do too much,” Dickerson said. “That’s hard to do with high school kids, because they like to go fast, but Lighthouse is a very good team,and I thought we played extremely well against them. We may have run out of gas at the end, but I really liked our fight tonight.”
The Spartans will stay at home to begin a stretch of three games in four days next week, in which they will face off against the Lee Christian Falcons on Jan. 14 at 6:45 p.m.
By Brandon White
bwhite@hendersondispatch.com; 252-436-2840
Jan 09, 2020 9:36 PM
HENDERSON — A solid first half for the Kerr-Vance Academy Spartans boys basketball team against the Lighthouse Christian Homeschool Eagles would devolve into a disappointing second half that saw them sustain an 87-71 loss Thursday.
Spartans head coach Brandon Dickerson knew that it would be a tall order to defeat the Eagles, but admitted that the overall lack of depth on the roster is what hindered them more than anything that occurred on offense and defense.
“When you play with six guys, it’s hard to run,” Dickerson said. “[The Eagles] like to run and play quick, but I just think we wore out toward the end. We fought hard and played good, so I’m proud of my team tonight.”
After starting off slow, the Spartans increased their tempo and began to aggressively drive the ball to the basket, which allowed them to establish a comfortable lead over the Eagles.
The momentum would only be temporary for the Spartans, as the Eagles quickly adapted to the fast pace to erase their deficit and took a 21-20 lead shortly before time expired in the first quarter.
The next eight minutes of competition saw the Spartans and Eagles exchange numerous ties and lead changes until the latter finally gained the upper hand and pulled ahead by a score of 45-40 at halftime.
Despite holding their own with the Eagles in the first half, the Spartans began to falter in the third quarter as the Eagles’ consistency behind the three-point line enabled them to build a double-digit lead.
The Spartans gradually began to shake off the rust and kept exploiting the Eagles’ weaknesses underneath the rim, but every successful layup or jump shot would be countered by a two-pointer or three-pointer on the other end of the court, which kept the lead out of reach for the Spartans.
With the Spartans growing more fatigued in the fourth quarter, the Eagles maintained their efficiency beyond the arc and began to drive the ball underneath the rim to formally close out the evening with a convincing victory over one of the top teams in the NCISAA Coastal Conference.
Dickerson said that an active rotation of just six players requires him to be mindful of his game plan and the amount of minutes each player uses, but regardless of the disadvantages the Spartans face in terms of depth, he believes that the passion his team displays has been what has made them competitive all year long.
“You have to play under control and try not to do too much,” Dickerson said. “That’s hard to do with high school kids, because they like to go fast, but Lighthouse is a very good team,and I thought we played extremely well against them. We may have run out of gas at the end, but I really liked our fight tonight.”
The Spartans will stay at home to begin a stretch of three games in four days next week, in which they will face off against the Lee Christian Falcons on Jan. 14 at 6:45 p.m.
