Boys B-Ball: Effort there, but same result

Zach Speikers scored a team-high 16 points (photo by Jim Lindquist)

After Tuesday night's 25-point beatdown by Shakopee at Tiger Gym, coach Shane Wyandt said his team would have to improve in three areas if it was going to be competitive in Friday's Missota Conference rematch at Shakopee: shooting, defensive rebounding and effort.

The effort was there but the shooting remained frosty (8 for 24 in the first half) and the Sabers' edge on the boards continued in a 62-50 loss.

The defeat was the third in a row for the Tigers who started the season on a 14-3 run. The loss dropped them to 4-4 in league play.

"I thought our effort was much better tonight," Wyandt said, "but we turned the ball over way too much and gave them (Shakopee) too many easy baskets because we didn't control the defensive glass. You can't do those things and expect to beat a good team like that."

The visitors got an early taste of what was to come when they turned the ball over on three of their first four trips down the floor.

Fortunately, the Sabers weren't shooting the ball very well and the games stayed close early. The score was tied at 10-10 before Tiger turnovers and Shakopee put-back propelled the Sabers to a 10-point halftime lead at 33-23.

"Between out turnovers and their offensive rebounding, they got a lot of easy baskets." Wyandt said. "We stressed at halftime the importance of getting the ball inside against their zone and hitting the defensive boards."

Farmington heeded the halftime advice early in the second period. The Tigers opened the half on a 10-2 spurt with all of the points coming from post players Eli Rockett and Nick Varner.

Sophomore Alex Hart came off the bench to add a couple of more baskets inside to pull the Tigers to 46-42 with 6:50 to play but then the 10th-ranked Sabers put together an 11-1 run of their own to pull away.

Zach Speikers rebounded from his sub-par outing on Tuesday (4 points) to lead the Tigers in scoring with 16 points. Rockett added 14.

Wyandt said the biggest thing about the recent three-game slide is the effect is the effect it is having on his team's confidence.

"We've seen how well we can play," he said. "We know what we have to do to get back to the way we played earlier in the season and I am confident we will get there."

Wednesday the Tigers play host to Chaska who shot the lights out in an 84-70 win earlier in the season at Chaska. Friday night it's on to Red Wing for a rematch with the Wingers.