3 observations from Cordova’s win over Bartlett

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cordova (21-1) defeated Bartlett, 49-43, Tuesday night to get even in the season series.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are 3 observations from the Wolfpack's win over Bartlett:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ugly one</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This wasn't a pretty win by Cordova.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And it didn't need to be. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Panthers aren't the type of team that wants to play pretty, either. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bartlett is a physical bunch that wants to play a physical, bully brand of basketball. The Panthers (21-3) want to out tough their opponents and push them around. Bartlett wants a slow-paced affair. Tuesday night was everything the Panthers could have asked for, except the Wolfpack are okay with a physical battle. They are comfortable with a low-scoring contest as well, because they're confident in scoring enough points and getting enough stops to come out on the winning side.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a low scoring game, each possession matters. The third quarter was Cordova's opportunity to turn the tide. After leading by 20-19 at halftime, the Wolfpack went on a quick 9-0 run early in the period after <strong>DJ</strong> <strong>McIntyre's</strong> 3. Cordova went up by as many as eight points, thanks to two 3-point plays by senior guards <strong>Jay</strong> <strong>Tyler</strong> and <strong>Emerson</strong> <strong>Tenner</strong>. Tyler even found senior guard <strong>Julius</strong> <strong>Thedford</strong> slashing to the basket for the uncontested alley-oop slam.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1236529' first='<strong>Christian</strong>' last='<strong>Alston</strong>']'s 3 at the top of the fourth quarter tied the game at 34-all. Tenner, who led the home team with 20 points, made four free throws early in the period to give Cordova a 42-37 lead, but without the crucial scores in the third, the Wolfpack wouldn't have been able to breathe on their home floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>”In games like this, every possession matters, and the mistakes you make are huge, even if it's a loose ball or a turnover and the other team capitalizing off of it,” said Tenner, who went 10 for 11 from the free throw line. “We knew we could finish around the rim. We didn't want to bail them out, so playing in transition is what we do, so they just made it easy for us.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cordova didn't make the careless mistakes in this one like it did in the <a href="https://prephoops.com/2024/01/3-observations-from-bartletts-win-over-cordova-2/">first</a> meeting. The Wolfpack did a better job of taking care of the basketball and made free throws in the final eight minutes to keep the lead and starve off another potential collapse.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Been here before</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tenner is used to double teams. He's been seeing them throughout his high school basketball career. Throughout the contest Tuesday night, Tenner saw two, sometimes three, players in his space, limiting the room he had to operate with. But, Tenner wasn't fazed by it. The Drake commit stayed poised, continued to move the basketball until a quality shot was available.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>”I have been seeing this since the 10th grade, so I am, kind of, used to it,” Tenner said. “And I'm playing with even better talent, so it's easy to kick it, and I know they're going to make a play just like I'm going to make a play.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Looks familiar</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This season, Cordova was in close games against Cullman (AL), Independence, Whitehaven, Jonesboro (AR), Harrisburg and twice against Bartlett. What's the record against those six programs? 5-1. What's to take away from the record? The Wolfpack are used to playing in games they have to grind out in the fourth quarter. With Tenner leading the charge, while Thedford, Tyler, and everyone else follow suit, Cordova isn't going to fold under pressure a lot in tight games. That's an important trait to have during this portion of the season, especially with the postseason right around the corner. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Other notes</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>R'Chaun</strong> <strong>King</strong> led the Panthers with 21 points and went 9 for 11 from the free throw line. He was Bartlett's best offensive player Tuesday night. Alston had 12. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->