The Southern Boone County boys’ basketball team plays best fast.
Their transition offense, led by speedy Rece Gilmore and long-legged Sam Stichnote, sets the pace for the game. When it’s running, opponents are hard-pressed to find an answer for it, and when it’s slow, opponents can quickly creep into a game.
It ran when needed on Saturday, and the Eagles’ defeated Macon 69-53 to move their unbeaten record to 8-0.
There were some bumps along the way, however. Macon started the game in a solid 2-3 defense, forcing SoBoCo to shoot jumpers and threes, and plugging up most driving lanes. With most of their shots bouncing off the rim and the Tigers’ draining some long threes, the first quarter looked uncharacteristic for Andy Jahnsen’s team, down 11-8.
“We only had six opportunities in the whole first half for us to run. That number has to be more. We have to win more possessions. Win meaning make them take tough shots so we can get rebounds and we can get into transition,” Jahnsen said.
Rebounds were what they got in the second quarter, creating more transition opportunities and putting SoBoCo on a 6-0 run. But the Tigers’ three-point attack kept them in the game, and Jahnsen switched his defense to a high 1-2-2 and full court press to slow them down. At the half, the Eagles held a slim 28-26 lead.
Southern Boone couldn’t pull out much more than five points ahead for much of the third quarter due to scrappy, tough play from Macon. But by the end of the third, the Eagles had gotten into a shooting and driving rhythm and held a 47-37 lead.
~ Read the full story in today’s Journal ~
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