Lancaster 60, Katella 47: Five Takeaways
After improving tremendously since last season, Lancaster has been playing comfortably, winning the last five games. Holding a big lead and coming out of halftime with the score 33-17, the Eagles seemed to have got complacent as Katella made a…
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Continue ReadingAfter improving tremendously since last season, Lancaster has been playing comfortably, winning the last five games. Holding a big lead and coming out of halftime with the score 33-17, the Eagles seemed to have got complacent as Katella made a spurt of runs to cut the lead down to ten points at times.
“I’m glad we got the win, but I thought we got a little lackadaisical, turning the ball over”, said Lancaster head coach Sidney Melvin. “We had several mismatches that we could’ve taken advantage of and we have to get better at finding those early on and exploiting them”. “I give them a lot of credit for the comeback they made but we settled down, ran our offense and took time off the clock which is what we wanted to do”, said Melvin.
Although it was a battle all night, the Eagles walk away with a big playoff victory after not qualifying for the playoffs the past two seasons. For head coach Sidney Melvin, tonight’s game provided much-needed characteristics that need to be worked on to stay alive in the playoffs. With the next game approaching, polishing up little aspects of the game will ensure a much safer victory for Lancaster. A big part of tonight’s game that hurt the Eagles is on the board and not taking advantage of free opportunities. “We need to work on rebounding and free throws”, said the Eagles head coach. “To go far further in the playoffs, we need to make our free throws and be more physical when rebounding, keeping the other team off the glass”.
Eagles have versatility
Lancaster loves to run up and down the floor. With many players who have the ability to jump and finish at the rim, the Eagles look to push the ball at a fast pace every chance they get. Many times, throughout the season and during the first round of the CIF playoffs did I witness players push the tempo on the fast break. This will force the other team to play at a higher energy that they may not be used to playing at.
Roach will lead the way
The senior captain has been a big force for the Lancaster offense. “Roach has been our go-to guy all year”, said head coach Sidney Melvin. “He is a prolific scorer and he has been scoring a lot of basketball to help give us a chance”. The 6’2 guard does not plan on slowing down anytime soon and will continue to display his skills for the remainder of the season. Jordan finished tonight’s game with 23 points vs Katella. His ability to score the ball at all three levels will be astronomical for Lancaster as they go deeper into the playoffs.
Robinson continues to be big for the Eagles
A big sparkplug for the Eagles all season, Robinson continues to play with a high motor. The 6’0 guard plays extremely hard on both ends of the court, providing the much-needed energy to cause havoc for the opposing team. Tonight, Robinson finished with a hustle 16 points for Lancaster. “Avion is just another one of those guards who continues to step up when we need him and hit key baskets”, said Melvin. The senior guard plays with a lot of heart and it has been paying off, helping the Eagles extend their winning streak.
Defensive pressure has continued to help Lancaster
Lancaster wants to play hard and play fast all game long. With a full-court pressure, they look to trap every opportunity they get then close out any open lane. Head coach Sidney Melvin uses the speed of this team to his advantage as they want to tire out the other team. Many of the points from tonight’s game have come off defensive pressure by the Eagles leading to easy transition buckets and chances to the free-throw line. The defensive pressure has been a strong suit for the Eagles and will continue to be leaned on down the road.
Big rebounds and free throws will transform the team
The athleticism displayed by the Eagles tonight was tremendous. Many times, throughout the game, plays will hustle for loose balls and big rebounds leading to free chances on the line. If Lancaster can grow to be physical on the boards, play vigorously all game on both ends of the court and hit free throws, they are likely to make a deep run into the playoffs. The Eagles have shown they can compete and with continued desire to do the little things, Lancaster may have the opportunity to extend their winning streak.