By Eric Poe/sports editor
The second week of basketball on NE featured three games Feb. 24, each with exciting first halves and tight halftime scores followed by dominant second-half performances by one team as each game ended with comfortable margins of victory.
Team One, Team Two and Team Five all came away with wins as Team Four lost to move to 0-3 for the season. Team Three lost both of its games during the day as it was unable to replicate its dominant performance the previous week.
Starting off were Team One and Team Three, both 1-0 for the young season. Team One came away with an entertaining 40-31 victory, turning a sluggish start into an authoritative win.
It had only one point through the game’s first 10 minutes but finished the half strongly, leading 16-14. That momentum carried over to the second half as Team One went on a 20-7 run in the first nine minutes to lead 36-21. Team Three made a late rally but fell short.
Team Three point guard Courtland Williams said his team shut down in the second half as Team One tightened up the pressure.
“Nobody was trying to play defense or move the ball,” he said. “And they [Team One] were aggravating me with their pressure. They kept trapping me, and I was getting aggravated with my team.”
Team One standout Yasmen Pickens said halftime adjustments made the difference in the game.
“We saw what we weren’t doing defensively,” he said. “We were asleep in the first half, but we stepped up together as a team and everything got to flowing. We are on a hot streak right now, so we just have to continue to work hard.”
The second game had two winless teams, Team Two and Team Four. Team Two moved to 1-1 as it won 48-34. Team Four had a 20-19 lead at halftime but couldn’t keep it up in the second half.
Players were plagued by turnovers and poor shooting after Team Two upped the pace of the game. Team Two’s 10-0 run in the span of two minutes doomed Team Four to the loss and last place in the league.
Team Two captain Theodore Udume said improved team chemistry was key, and he believes his group can win the championship.
“We’ve never played together, but we went to open gym together this week,” he said. “It got us out of our offensive slump… I think we can win it all. We should at least make it to the finals.”
The final game featured Team Three and Team Five. Team Three could not redeem itself after its first-game debacle, losing 66-47. It could not compete with Team Five’s three-pronged attack of Cameron Armstrong, Yancey Davis and Zach Needler.
Team Five had a 26-24 halftime lead but exploded for 40 second-half points, including a 19-5 run at the beginning of the second half.
Davis said a change in defensive strategy helped eliminate Team Three’s three-point threat.
“We were playing a 2-3 zone, which is the only reason they were staying in the game,” he said. “Then we switched to a 3-2 and stopped giving up the three.”
Davis said team chemistry is not an issue for his team, which had never played together before this season.
“Offensively, we are fine,” he said. “Basketball is basketball.”
