The recent woes the Brownwood Lions have experienced on the offensive end of the basketball court continued Wednesday night in a 72-45 loss to the Little River Academy Bumblebees in their first game of the TexasBank Holiday Classic at the Brownwood Coliseum.
The loss marked the fourth in a row for the Lions (8-7), who have averaged just 49 points per game during the skid, down from their 65 points per game average for the entire campaign.
“I’m trying to play too many people maybe,” said Lions second-year head coach Will Parker. “We’re trying to find a good rotation. We got two guys back in Ike Hall and Thad Hinds, and Morsello Hooker’s been playing well but I moved him to a different position to try and keep those guys who can make plays out there together on the floor. But we struggled, we didn’t know where to be and that’s on me. I have to do a better job of making sure guys are doing what they’re supposed to do.”
After giving up the first eight points of the game, the Lions rallied with nine of their own to grab the lead. In front 15-13 with 1:15 left in the opening period, Brownwood surrendered the final five points of the period to fall behind 18-15. Academy continued to build on that momentum, establishing a 46-25 halftime edge from which the Lions could not recover.
Brownwood trailed 53-26 through three periods, then allowed the first 11 points of the fourth quarter to foil any hopes of a rally.
Tristan Salinas and Luke Gray again led the Lions with 15 and 12 points, respectively, while the search for more consistency on the offensive end lingers on.
“Everybody else that we have is averaging between three and six points,” Parker said. “Ryder Lancaster had a great start to the game and then I didn’t even get him in the second half, so I have to do a better job. But we’re going to work it out.”
Hayden Noe tacked on seven points, Jason Jackson added five, Lancaster chipped in three, Hall contributed a bucket and Gage Sparks sank a free throw.
“It’s nice to have all the guys out there again, but sometimes it’s a blessing and a curse to have 12 guys to choose from,” Parker said. “Everybody is getting healthy again, we just have to figure it out.”
Academy (12-5), a member of District 19-3A, was sparked by 18 points from Cooper Chase, 13 points from Scout Brazeal, nine from Lance Willie, and eight apiece from Cole Shackelford and Kasey Mraz.
The Lions conclude pool play at 9:20 a.m. Thursday at the Brownwood Coliseum against Big Spring, which fell to Academy, 54-45, Wednesday.
“We have to be talking, we have to be pointing, we can’t just do one job, we have to make sure everybody is out there working together,” Parker said of Thursday’s goals. “It’s going to take all five guys on the court doing that.”
