The Chargers basketball team made its debut on Nov. 6, when they defeated New Rock Prep by a score of 74-53 in their home opener, improving their season record to 2-1.
When asked how the team was feeling before the game, power forward Cameron Baldwin said, “We’re feeling confident in our skills and we’ve been working hard in practice. I feel like we’re gonna have a great season.”
In the first half, the Chargers’ two biggest plays came on defense, with Chi Shannon and Marquin Thompson each making a pair of impressive chase-down blocks as the quarter wound down.
At halftime, the score was 31-26, and emotions were tense on the sideline. “We’re not playing up to par out there. I know for a fact that we can do better,” Head Coach JJ Merritt said.
After the first half, the team came out with high energy. Guards Jay’Quan Nelson and Isaiah Logan each hit clutch shots to start, and whenever one player lost momentum, another one was there to pick it back up.
By the end of the game, the team had extended a five-point lead into 19 and closed out strong with a 74-53 win. When asked if anything surprised him during the game, Logan said “They were a little bit more physical than I expected them to be.” Despite the physical challenge, Logan finished with 13 points (4-6 FG, 4-5 FT) and was the team’s most efficient player by true shooting percentage.
When asked if there were any lessons to take away from tonight’s game, Logan said, “I feel like everybody needs to play with more energy from the tip-off instead of trying to turn up in the second half. These next teams aren’t going to be as easy to play.”
“This is a good test early, so we don’t have to worry about getting blown out and having to fight to get back in the game. We showed we can get ahead early and keep going even when it’s tough,” forward/center Joshua Cooper added. Cooper, who finished the game with 10 points and a plus/minus of 17, was instrumental in revitalizing the team on both sides of the ball in the second half.
While he seemed frustrated at halftime, Coach Merritt was much more lively during the post-game interview. “We had a much better second half. We played with more fire and a sense of urgency defensively. If we can match that intensity every night, we’ll be fine against any team,” Merritt said.
