North Side finds offense in 2nd half against Concordia in SAC Holiday Tournament
North Side’s offense sputtered for the first half in its SAC Holiday Tournament quarterfinal against Concordia. Then, it exploded. After scoring 15 points in the first half, North Side put up 21 in the third quarter en route to a…
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Continue ReadingNorth Side’s offense sputtered for the first half in its SAC Holiday Tournament quarterfinal against Concordia. Then, it exploded.
After scoring 15 points in the first half, North Side put up 21 in the third quarter en route to a 58-44 win Tuesday morning in Fort Wayne.
“I think our mentality was different in the second half,” North Side head coach Shabaz Khaliq said. “We cranked it up a little bit, did some things we didn’t do in the first half. In terms of our decision making, it was better in the second half and our energy was good.”
This change was most notable from Keion Brooks, Jr. One of the top freshman recruits in the state, he had two points at the break before finishing with 17 in the game. He finished 5-for-13 (2-for-3 from 3-point range) with four rebounds and a block to lead the Redskins.
“In the first half, we let him know he was rushing things and to be calm, things are going to be there,” Khaliq said. “Kind of let him gather himself and then we challenged him. We don’t sit back and say ‘It’s alright,’ and coddle you, but going to challenge you to do better and he stepped up, which is a credit to him for being so mature for his age.”
Brooks was aided by a stingy defensive effort, led by Davontae Kinnie and Elijah Holmes. The duo put pressure on Concordia’s offense, which led to transition baskets for North Side. Kinnie finished with 12 points and three steals and Holmes contributed five second half points and a steal of his own. Jaylen Butz also limited Concordia’s offense as he finished with nine points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.
“It was all defense,” Khaliq said. “Guys getting out in the passing lanes, making passing difficult for them, getting the ball where we needed it to go on the offensive end. We got some easy transition layups which is nice to see the ball go into the basket after a first half we struggled to put the ball in the basket.”
Concordia on the other hand saw its strong play in the first half limited as North Side found its zone. The Cadets were led by Mitch Paradine’s strong shooting night as he finished 5-for-8 from 3-point range and finished with a team-high 15 points. Reggie Tharp contributed seven points and Paxton Bergdoll scored eight points to go with four rebounds, three blocks and three assists.
The win advances North Side to the SAC Holiday Tournament semifinals Wednesday at 8:15 p.m.