Quick hits: Bartlett’s formula works

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bartlett, from start to finish, dominated CP Next Level (GA) Friday evening at The Lighthouse Classic by the final score of 81-49.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are the quick hits from the Panthers win:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Avalanche came fast</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bartlett loves to force turnovers. The Panthers love to play stifling defense. Bartlett's guards love to pick up 94 feet. The Panthers love to wear their opponents down as soon as the basketball goes up in the air. Bartlett's trademark has been turning great defensive efforts into points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That was the case against CP Next Level. The Panthers jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2083148' first='Axton' last='Perry'] had a dunk in transition off a turnover. Sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id='2194617' first='DJ' last='Okoth'] had two dunks. Junior shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='2291122' first='Dylan' last='Jones'] had a layup in the opening minutes of the first quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The avalanche came faster than Bartlett's opponent expected. The avalanche didn't come as a surprise to the team's fanbase that was in attendance on Black Friday. They have seen the Panthers get into a great rhythm quickly and impose their will on opponents. Bartlett was never threatened. The Panthers never had to worry about a scare. Bartlett pilled its ears back on defense, smelled blood early, and went for the kill.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Panthers, who had a comfortable 46-21 lead at the half, landed the knockout punch inside the first 8 minutes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>”Last year, they went through so much. We were really, really young last year. We took our lumps,” Bartlett's head coach Dion Real said. “A lot of it is just a learning process of ‘Just because you made a 3 or you get a dunk, it's the next play.' We just keep it rolling, keep it rolling. Staying humble, staying disciplined on every single possession, every single day, which would lead to big runs.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>It can be either guy's night</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bartlett has something many teams in Class 4A don't have: Two guys that can go get 20-plus points on a nightly basis. Okoth finished with 20 points and 6 rebounds. Jones led the Panthers with 21 points on 8 of 13 shooting. Okoth was crowned MVP of the contest. The beauty of this is how well the basketball swung from one side of the court to the other. The basketball kept moving until a quality shot was available. This Bartlett team plays an unselfish brand of basketball, which is the main reason why the Panthers are off to a great 4-0 start. On any given night, Okoth or Jones can lead the team on offense. Both are 6-foot-5, athletic, coachable, eager to compete and dominate, and play for one another. It's a luxury for Bartlett to have with two players that are ranked nationally.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The right balance</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bartlett had 10 guys to score in the win. The Panthers shot 56.5 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from 3-point range. As I mentioned earlier, the basketball was moving. Bartlett recorded 19 assists on 35 made shots. If this isn't balance, then I don't know what is.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->