Dragons get ticket on the win train
Clinton makes easy work of always pesty Knox Central
Clinton’s Rishon Bright holds the ball tight during a power moves inside for the Dragons against Knox Central. (photo:Collin Riggs )
Clinton High School’s boys’ basketball team hosted Central on Tuesday, Jan. 12, for a district match against the Bobcats, walking away with a 59-50 victory over a team that often poses a significant challenge to the Dragons from season to season.
Chris Lockard, head coach for the Dragons, said he felt like they beat one of the top teams.
“Central is one of the strongest teams in our district,” he said. “They’re extremely athletic. I felt like we were in a sort of limbo from the last few games. We weren’t at the level I wanted to be. We revamped some things in practice, so I was very nervous going into that game seeing if we could find ourselves and play like we were playing before the break.
“Luckily, all the changes we made seemed to work defensively. I thought offensively we sort of got back into our rhythm and flow. Pretty much from start to finish, I felt we controlled both ends of the floor. I was very concerned about rebounding and we did an outstanding job of keeping them off the glass.”
The game started out close, with both teams trading the lead across the first quarter before the Dragons sunk three treys to take command going into the second. They held onto the lead, and even managed to increase it to 11 points one time. Through some fancy footwork and a couple of missed shots by the Dragons, the Bobcats brought their deficit down to eight, with the second half starting 31-23 in the Dragon’s favor.
The halftime breather gave the Dragons a much-needed boost, and they exploded into the second half with a hot streak that gave them a 17-point lead midway through the third. The fourth quarter, the Dragons ran the clock down, slowing the game and allowing some Clinton subs to gain minutes on the court. Even with subs in, though, the Dragons easily kept enough of a lead to finish for the victory.
Dragons swept the stat sheet as well, beating Central in every category except for free throws and blocks. The game was remarkably clean, with both teams combined totaling only 20 fouls.
While Clinton and Central tied for two-point shots, Clinton excelled in treys, edging Central 7-3. Clinton also dominated in rebounds, beating Central handily in both offensive (12-9) and defensive rebounds (25-16).
Most of the treys, once again, came from Jackson Garner, who finished the night with 23 points, as well as two steals and four rebounds. Lane Harrison came in behind Garner with 16 points, as well as five rebounds, an assist, and a deflection, while Rishon Bright came in third on points with 14. Trace Thackerson, while only scoring three points for the night, dominated the paint on rebounds, coming away with nine total (one offensive, eight defensive), as well as two assists. With all that, Thackerson only came away with a single foul for the night.
Other notable stats for the night included Tyler Morgan’s continued attitude as a team player. Morgan, despite finishing with only a single point, pulled five rebounds for Clinton as well as an assist, a deflection, and a steal. Jeremiah Blauvelt, similarly, finished with no points, but seven rebounds, an assist, three deflections, and a steal.
Lockard said the game had its own set of challenges.
“We were up 20 with about four minutes to go in the game,” he said. “Obviously our top seven were extremely tired and I made them push through. Central was able to make a mini run there to cut it down to 10. I mean, there was less than a minute when they did that. I was able to still teach the kids that it’s four quarters and not three and a half. That helped me the next two days leading up to the Halls game.”
The Dragons went on two days later to beat Halls 80-41 in a decisive rematch after their loss to the Red Devils at Halls.
“We came out with a 30-point first quarter and a 20-point second quarter,” Lockard said. “I thought we did a great job keeping them off the paint, and once our defense was clicking that much, they just couldn’t make a run at us. My goal last week was not to reinvent our team, but to find our team, and I think we were very successful in doing so. Now it’s a matter of staying consistent and keeping our focus on what it takes for us to be successful.
“What I’m trying to do is create a tougher mindset like we talked about. A blood-and-guts mindset, so when you’re tired and your skill level might be down a bit, you can still reach down and play physical and tough basketball. It’s going to be interesting. It’s very difficult when you play one game and have one day of prep, but so far, I’ve been really proud of the kids. They’ve really bought into the suggestions I’m giving them, and some of the changes I’ve had to make. We’re just fighting for that consistency. If they continue working the way they have been, then we’ll find that really quick.”