After holding a lead at the end of the first quarter, the Houston High School boys basketball team was unable to maintain the advantage and fell to Plato, 57-47, last Friday night in Tiger Fieldhouse.
Bolstered by strong interior play and three close-range buckets by junior center Brody Adksion, the host Tigers led 16-14 at the end of the first period. But the visiting Eagles snatched the momentum in the second period and were ahead 30-21 at halftime on the way to the victory.
“I thought we played hard once again,” said HHS head coach Jim Moore, “and we put ourselves in position to win. We still are having too many self-inflicted wounds that are costing us the ability to secure the win.
“I feel like if we continue to put ourselves in position to win, we’re going to figure out how to finish.”
A recurring issue for the Tigers has been a low-scoring quarter –sometimes in the first half and sometimes in the second. This time, the second period proved to be a turning point in the contest.
“I can’t really explain why we seem to have one quarter that we struggle in,” Moore said. “It’s not the same quarter every time that it’s happening in. We have be more consistent for sure. I believe that’s part of growing pains as a team is finding its identity and growing up.”
As has also been the case on multiple occasions this season, the Tigers never relented no matter the score.
Houston closed the gap in the third quarter and tied the score at 36-all with a 15-6 run. The spree included a pair of 3-pointers by senior forward Stone Jackson and a driving basket by senior forward Brady Brookshire that knotted the score at the 2:44 mark of the period.
But the Eagles finished the quarter with a 6-0 run and increased their lead in the final 8 minutes.
Sophomore point guard DJ Riley led the Tigers’ balanced scoring in the contest with 13 points (including 9 in the fourth quarter), while Brookshire had 10 and Adkison and Jackson added 9 apiece.
Plato’s athletic junior forward Andrew Woodruff led all scorers in the game with 20 points, while also grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds and blocking 5 shots.
“I thought our defense was solid early in the game and then again late,” Moore said. “But we struggled following our scouting report when we switched up our defenses and lost their best player a couple of times and he made us pay both times. We also allowed them to get to the hole a couple of times that really cost us.
“Any time you are in a two or three-possession game, mistakes are amplified. We are getting better about executing game plans, but we aren’t there yet.”
While execution might be a bit lacking at times so far this season, the Tigers have played with intensity from beginning to end in each outing.
“We’re going to play hard,” Moore said. “That’s part of the rebuilding process that has to be there night in and night out. We have to play a little smarter, a little more fundamentally sound, and with a little more confidence to help us get over the hump.”
Houston (1-4 through last week) travel to Licking on Tuesday of this week for a matchup with the rival Wildcats (7-1), and will compete next week in the annual Cabool Holiday Tournament. The Tigers are seeded 16th in the event’s 16-team field and will face No. 1 Norwood in a first round game at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 26.
“We’re going to continue to work to improve,” Moore said. “This season is a marathon and not a sprint. The goal is to be a team that is super-competitive by districts.
“I believe this team is capable of doing that.”
