Sports
Sloppy Second Half Dooms Alexander
By: Briana Ekanem
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An overconfident Alexander Spartans squad showed up for their first round tournament game against the Waverly Tigers on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
The Spartans lost 57-53, mainly due to Waverly’s superior aggression and athleticism, of which Alexander just couldn’t compete with.
Right off the bat, Alexander made this tournament game look like it would be a cakewalk. The Spartans were confident with the ball and consistent in shooting, coming out 7 for 11 in the first half.
On the other hand, the Tigers looked to be out of control and sloppy offensively to start the game, earning several charges and traveling violations.
At the end of the first quarter, Alexander lead by five, 16-11.
To start the second quarter of the game, however, it was as if Alexander couldn’t find a rhythm. Facing a 6-0 run from Waverly, the Spartans put up countless shots with no reward.
Waverly made an attempt at almost every kind of defense, finding little success in the first half. It wasn’t until the second half that Waverly began to press the Spartans to force turnovers.
Alexander and Waverly both finished the game with 13 turnovers each. The Spartans, however, would give up most of theirs in the second half.
The Tigers were aggressive on the boards, accumulating a total of 31 rebounds compared to Alexander’s 24.
Alexander found it nearly impossible to execute shots, which led to their fouling out of frustration on offense.
When it came down to it, Alexander’s 27 overall fouls would be just the advantage Waverly would need to sneak a win past the Spartans.
Alexander could not draw fouls as easily as their opponents. With just 6:40 left in the game, Mason Chapman would shoot the first foul shots for the Spartans.
In the second half alone, Waverly’s Erin Heigl added 15 points to his personal score of 20 and the team’s 57. Over half of Heigl’s points came from behind the free throw line.
Waverly’s baskets almost came entirely from the free throw line. Shooting 13 for 43 all game, finding themselves at the line came as a huge advantage for the Tigers.
Although the outcome wasn’t what the Spartans would have hoped for, both Chapman and Seth Richardson would end the night in double-digit scoring. Richardson led the Spartans with 14, and Chapman pitched in 13.
The Spartans finish their season with a 10-8 record.