Two Game Split

Hey! Hey! Hope that everyone is well back in that cold weather back home. In the previous blog I wrote you, our team was coming off a tough double over time loss to Holon on the road. So last week we hosted Ashekelon at home in a game that we needed to win. We opened the game very sluggish and were not playing in a good rhythm. Two minutes into the second quarter, one of our key players went down with a leg injury and did not return for the game. So as bad as we played and facing adversity, our team was fortunate that we were only down one point at half time 33-34.

The start of the second half, we looked like a totally different team. We played with more energy and possessed tenacity on defense. Our transition game picked up pace which enabled us to get out and get some easy baskets. I fouled out of the game close to the end, but my team was still able to come away with the victory. I know….I must stop fouling, this is the third game I have fouled out of. Lol! I ended the game with 19pts and 4rebs and 2stls. Felt good to get back on the winning side!

Yesterday we headed back on the road, with one of our key players still out from last game, to play Galil. They are a very good pick and roll team with great shooters from the outside. On the contrary, they opened up the game with a lot of isolation plays and were beating us off the dribble to the basket. We were not playing with any toughness and were just letting them do whatever they wanted to do on offense. The first half, they shot 94% from the field…is that even possible shooting in the gym alone? That is just an indicator of the bad defense we were playing, giving up lay-up after lay-up and still, we were only down 8 at half time 52-44. The second half we played with more courage and purpose like we wanted to win the game. Our defense was getting stops and we were getting out in transition, where we are at our best, for easy baskets. In the 4th quarter when the game was on the line, we were just not able to stop their pick and roll offense when we needed to and it cost us the victory. In zone or man, they dissected our defense with it and either got an easy shot or an open three. We put up a good fight in the second half but in the end, we just couldn’t get the stops that we needed to have. I ended the game with 20pts, 8rebs and 3assist but it was a bad shooting night….6/17 fg’s! Anybody that knows my game, knows that I thrive on efficiency! Only cure is to get back in the gym….

On another note, I wasn’t in the best of moods after losing my game yesterday but saw the Cards get the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament! It lifted my night and got me pretty excited to watch them play this week! Let the count down begin….6 games left to the crown!

Son Of The City