Tuesday night, the Coalfield Yellow Jackets made the journey to SOR. The Waves would split games with the Jackets in two interesting match-ups. The Lady Waves started strong but things got sour, real sour, as Coalfield would cruise to a 77-42 win. A 32-minute battle enraged between the Waves & Yellow Jackets, with the Green Waves defeating the Jackets 75-64.
Girl’s Game
Facing their toughest opponent of the season, the Lady Waves jumped out to an impressive 7 point lead. The Lady Jackets looked as if they’d been hit with a little Ortho and appeared stunned. The Lady Jackets came at the Lady Waves with a full-court press but Parks, Beard and Roberson easily broke – leading to Midway points.
But the tide quickly went out on the Lady Waves. A winded Lady Wave squad got sloppy with the ball and struggled to get the ball over the front of the rim. Coalfield made adjustments in the 2nd period, dropping to a half-court defense, and quickly jumped into the lead; never looking back.
Coalfield would take a 45-23 lead into the break and they continued to pour it on in the 2nd half. The Lady Waves had no answer and Coalfield would roll on to a 77-42 win.
When asked about the loss, Coach Woody cited her team’s inability to pull back on the throttle and set a slower tempo as well as lack of depth as 2 factors in the disappointing loss.
The Lady Wave will need to but this game behind them quickly as a key district match-up lurks this Friday as the Harriman Blue Devils come south of the river. A win puts the Lady Waves in the top spot in the District.
Men’s Game
The Waves and Jackets provided 32-minutes of close basketball. The 1st period horn sounded and the score was knotted at 14-14. The Waves put together a solid 2nd period and would take a slight lead into the break.
With just under 3 minutes to play in the game, the Waves clung to a 10 point lead. However, unforced turnovers began to pile up on the Waves and Coalfield cut the lead to just 5 at the 2-minute warning. Big plays by Josh Hicks as well as the “”Iceman””, Steve Blasko, knocking in key free-throws down the stretch, put an end to the Jacket run and sealed an eleven point win for the Waves.
For 4 periods, Midway’s big men dominated the rebound category. Zach Hall, Wakon Roberson, and Steve Blasko worked hard inside and would snatch up what seemed like every missed shot. Zach Hall, now known only as Windex due to his ability to clean the glass, played well on both ends of the court. Wakon had a solid offensive showing, attacking the defense and playing above the rim. Wakon also had several big blocks, which always brings a little noise from the student section.
The Waves welcome in District foe Harriman Blue Devils this Friday. A huge game as the regular season is coming down the back stretch and the District tourney now appears on the horizon.