JV Blazers falter at home

DEC. 21, NELSON H. KOBREN MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM—

The JV boys' basketball team, which started the season with a solid 3-0 record, fell to 3-1 Thursday after a disappointing loss to the Blake Bengals 47-34. Though the Blazers dominated the first half, the Bengals took control in the second half, and simply outscored the Blazers en route to their victory.

According to head coach Emanuel Charles, the team played well but were not sharp as they needed to be. "It was a good effort from the kids but there was bad execution," he said, also mentioning the fact that the Bengals have much bigger players than the Blazers. "We don't have any big guys like them, it's like a typical JV team," Charles pointed out.

The game started out well for the Blazers, who were able to sink the first basket just seconds after the first whistle. With one minute left in the first quarter, Blair was up 12-6, but the Bengals scored a quick two buckets in 30 seconds, trimming Blair's lead to a slim two.

The second quarter was a seesaw battle that saw each team trade baskets. Neither team led by more than four points at any time, as each team pressed for a defensive stop.

The Blazers were moving the ball well, thanks to some excellent guard play from sophomore Wayne Henderson. Henderson picked up some easy assists as Blair scored some easy layups. Blake was more than up to the task though, as they moved the ball equally well and, thanks to a quick scoring spurt, ended the half with a 23-20 lead.

Blair started the third quarter trying to push the tempo, playing full court press to try and regain the lead they had all game. The press wasn't too successful, but it did result in a few easy buckets for the Blazers. The shot selection also hurt Blair, as they took some crazy shots and made it easy on Blake. With the Blazers struggling to put points on the board, Blake extended their lead to 39-30.

The Bengals maintained a 10 point lead for the rest of the game, never letting Blair get too close. The final period ended somewhat sadly, with Blair not able to rack up the points needed to compete with the Bengals. The Blazers left the gym disappointed that their perfect 3-0 record had been tainted with a loss.