In the first game of the season, it was a slow start that doomed the Hannibal boys basketball team. Tuesday night in game No. 2, it was a slow finish that cost the Pirates.
Playing the host Pittsfield Saukees in the Pittsfield Tournament, opened up the game strong. Hannibal wasn’t phased by the Pittsfield pressure and was able to score some points early. At the half, the Pirates trailed the Saukees by six 27-21.
“We broke their pressure really easily,” Hannibal head coach Matt Pugh said. “The kids played really well together and we got some easy buckets in transitions because we spaced the floor nicely and shared the basketball and that’s what kept it close for us.”
The second half was a different story. Pittsfield applied the pressure and the Pirates made mistakes. Turnovers started coming and Hannibal was taken off its game.
“They really bothered us in the second half with their pressure,” Pugh said. “Pressure did not phase us at all in the first half.”
Hannibal struggled to mount an offense and scored just 12 second half points. The Saukees, on the other hand, came out firing. Pittsfield scored 38 second half points to pick up the 67-35 win.
“Not to use it as an excuse or anything because I don’t like hiding behind that, but I think we just showed our youth again tonight in the second half,” Pugh said. “They made an adjustment with their pressure — they started bringing it from different areas and our kids just couldn’t adjust very well to it. That really took us out of our offense and the things we like to do.”
The Pirates opened the tournament giving up 68 points to Liberty High School (Ill.) on Monday. Tuesday night, the defense surrendered one fewer point, but Pugh said his team played a lot better without the ball.
“I thought defensively we were much improved from last night and I know the score doesn’t indicate that,” Pugh said. “When we didn’t turn it over, we were defensively pretty good tonight.”
Christian Williams was the leading scorer for the Pirates. The sophomore big man didn’t have his best game in the season opener, but found his scoring touch against the Saukees, netting 14 points.
“He had a little better night than last night,” Pugh said. “Last night, he really struggled, but he picked up the pace tonight.”
Hannibal will be off today for Thanksgiving before returning to Pittsfield Friday night to play Pleasant Hill. Tip-off for that game will be at 5 p.m.
“Tonight we talked after the game about coming out Friday and putting two halves together,” Pugh said. “We need to stay with our stuff and trust in our system.”
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In the first game of the season, it was a slow start that doomed the Hannibal boys basketball team. Tuesday night in game No. 2, it was a slow finish that cost the Pirates.
Playing the host Pittsfield Saukees in the Pittsfield Tournament, opened up the game strong. Hannibal wasn’t phased by the Pittsfield pressure and was able to score some points early. At the half, the Pirates trailed the Saukees by six 27-21.
“We broke their pressure really easily,” Hannibal head coach Matt Pugh said. “The kids played really well together and we got some easy buckets in transitions because we spaced the floor nicely and shared the basketball and that’s what kept it close for us.”
The second half was a different story. Pittsfield applied the pressure and the Pirates made mistakes. Turnovers started coming and Hannibal was taken off its game.
“They really bothered us in the second half with their pressure,” Pugh said. “Pressure did not phase us at all in the first half.”
Hannibal struggled to mount an offense and scored just 12 second half points. The Saukees, on the other hand, came out firing. Pittsfield scored 38 second half points to pick up the 67-35 win.
“Not to use it as an excuse or anything because I don’t like hiding behind that, but I think we just showed our youth again tonight in the second half,” Pugh said. “They made an adjustment with their pressure — they started bringing it from different areas and our kids just couldn’t adjust very well to it. That really took us out of our offense and the things we like to do.”
The Pirates opened the tournament giving up 68 points to Liberty High School (Ill.) on Monday. Tuesday night, the defense surrendered one fewer point, but Pugh said his team played a lot better without the ball.
“I thought defensively we were much improved from last night and I know the score doesn’t indicate that,” Pugh said. “When we didn’t turn it over, we were defensively pretty good tonight.”
Christian Williams was the leading scorer for the Pirates. The sophomore big man didn’t have his best game in the season opener, but found his scoring touch against the Saukees, netting 14 points.
“He had a little better night than last night,” Pugh said. “Last night, he really struggled, but he picked up the pace tonight.”
Hannibal will be off today for Thanksgiving before returning to Pittsfield Friday night to play Pleasant Hill. Tip-off for that game will be at 5 p.m.
“Tonight we talked after the game about coming out Friday and putting two halves together,” Pugh said. “We need to stay with our stuff and trust in our system.”
