(Jan. 16, 2015) The Worcester Prep boys’ basketball team struggled in the first half of Monday’s game against the Chincoteague Ponies. The visiting Mallards picked up their level of play in the second half, but they couldn’t come back from the deficit and, in the end, lost the match, 50-39.
“After the first half it was 31-13, so I was proud of the way we fought back in the second half. It could have been an embarrassing game for us, but we showed some heart and determination in the second half,” said Prep Coach Keith Geiger. “I thought our defense was pretty good, especially in the second half. We have a difficult time scoring this year [and] 13 points in a half is not going to win any games. We were getting good looks, and just missing easy shots. We also shot 8-22 from the foul line, which didn’t help.”
Sophomore Owen Nally played well, Geiger said, scoring 10 points.
Sam Cantello, a freshman, came off the bench and played a great game, Geiger said, as he was hustling, diving and making defensive stops. He finished with six points, eight rebounds and six steals.
The Mallards have five regular-season games left, all against Eastern Shore Independent Athletic Conference opponents. First up is the Gunston Day Herons, today, Friday, at 5:30 p.m. in Berlin. When the two teams went head-to-head on Dec. 3, Worcester won 62-16.
“There is no easy fix for the offense, but what we can do better is come out with the intensity and defensive awareness that we played with in the second half of the Chincoteague game,” Geiger said. “Every game is going to be tough from here on out, and the only way we can win them is if we play with heart. Hopefully our offense starts clicking a little and we gain some confidence, and finish out the year undefeated in the conference.”
