Hardwood Heroes Sports
Federal Hocking Lancers’ Defensive Pressure Too Much For Miller
By: Joe Collins
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STEWART, Ohio- In their last game, the Federal Hocking Lancers (2-0) put up an impressive 73 points. This time, they scored even more. 87 to be exact, which was more than enough to put away the Miller Falcons, 87-54. Lancers head coach Jonathan Thompson was impressed with not only the team’s start, but there scoring performance as well.
“It feels really good. The boys have worked hard, they put in the work and it’s a good start to be 2-0. I’m hoping that it builds a winning culture and we can continue that because we got a lot of tough games ahead of us and we’ll see where we stand later on,” Thompson said.
From tip-off, the Lancers were the superior team. They knocked down shots, had 12 steals, and rebounded effectively. It wasn’t just their starters that were doing all the damage. The Lancers bench was very effective in keeping the Falcons from putting up any sort of rally. The Lancers led by as many as 38 in the game.
The Lancers were dominant from the three-point line, as they knocked down three from beyond the arc. Hunter Smith, who started off slow, caught fire in the second half, including hitting back-to-back-to-back three’s at the start of the second half. He would end up hitting five for a team high 20 points.
“I think he just goes to where he could knock a shot down,” Thompson said. “We didn’t say anything to him at halftime or anything like that to motivate him. Hunter plays hard every night, practice included. He gets after it so I don’t have to worry about him because I know he’s gonna get after it at both ends of the floor so we don’t worry too much about slow starts or anything like that.”
Smith wasn’t the only Lancer who was effective on the scoresheet. Bradley Russell finished with a double- double as he recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds. His presence allowed the Lancers to gain control of the ball, preventing any put back attempts and setting the tempo of the game.
Arguably one of the biggest reasons the Lancers were so effective was their defense. They pressed the entire game. The goal of the press coverage is to force turnovers. The Lancers succeeded in their goal as they forced 23 turnovers in the game.
Federal Hocking will not have much time to dwell on this victory because they are back in action tomorrow at noon when they take on the Morgan Chieftains. For coverage of their game, be sure to keep up with Hardwood Heroes.