Early excitement gave way to the harsh reality of the hard work ahead for the Bainbridge High boys varsity basketball team Friday when, after jumping to an initial lead and then falling swiftly behind the visitors from Bishop Blanchet, they ultimately ended up on the wrong side of a 63-43 season opener.
BHS Head Coach Steve Haizlip said the loss was less a matter of skill than of the island squad being “outworked.”
“They just wanted it more than we did,” he said. “Shots weren’t falling for us. We probably shot about as poorly as you could shoot.”
Opening night jitters most likely played a part in the Spartans’ far-flying shot attempts, the coach said, but further speed and conditioning drills would be a top practice priority as well.
“I think we got off, we missed a couple of shots and I think that kind of set the tone for us mentally,” Haizlip said. “I actually felt we would fight through that and be good, but we just couldn’t.”
The coach also praised the work ethic of the Blanchet team.
“They kind of instilled what they wanted to do on us and we couldn’t find our rhythm,” he said.
The Spartans leapt to a 3-0 lead in the first minute of the first quarter Friday, but the Braves responded in kind and the visitors led 9-6 with just under three minutes to go. The Spartans again managed to leapfrog their way back to the lead, though, and the home team was up, for what would be the last time in the game, 18-16 at the start of the second quarter.
A flurry of back-and-forth and one quarter later, the Braves led 34-21 at the end of the half.
They stayed in front for the rest of the night.
The BHS team was led by acting captains Brendon Burke and Charles Hoberg on Friday.
Senior Lyle Terry scored the most points, finishing the night with 12.
Burke and fellow Spartan senior Marcus Clyde each scored 11 points. Jackson Taylor put up four, Cole Muran managed three and Hoberg scored two.
Consistency and sustainability were the words running through the coach’s mind in the final moments of the game and afterward, he said. Consistency and sustainability, as in, the Spartans needed more of both.
“I think we made a run, and my thing is can we sustain that for four quarters?” Haizlip said. “Not two minutes, not four minutes [but] the whole game?
“We can shoot very well — not tonight,” he added. “I really do think defensively we’re good [but] it’s just not at a consistent level. Once we get there, we’ll be OK.”
It being so early in the season, Haizlip said it was critical to not let any one game set the mood for the team.
“We’ll be all right, we just got to keep fighting through it,” he said.
The Spartans hit the road the very next day to play against North Kitsap High. The squad will play at home again at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16 against Cleveland.
