One week ago, to the day, Heritage Christian played host to Clarksville Christian.
A 64-47 final that was, and felt, so much tighter than that then, went very differently in the rematch, despite a similar score. you can check out the full recap for game one here.
Game two saw the Warriors walk away the victors 68-35, and it at times did not feel that close. It was a tale of what one player and even one game against an opponent can do to shift the flow greatly.
In the first game back on November 14th, Carlos Robles had thirty points, nearly all of which came in succession and in the first half. That was because the Warriors were shorthanded and needed him to perform near super human on both ends of the floor.
Now do not misunderstand me, and you can read the above article to confirm, other players stepped up. However, the addition or re-introduction of Jason Leek in game two, drastically changed how the game was played.
Leek had twenty-one points to go along with Robles, who led all players at twenty-four. What Leek did alongside those points though was muster up five rebounds, five assists, and six steals. Six of his twenty-one came directly off turnovers and many of those assists were directly tied to Robles’s twenty-four.
Head Coach Matt McGowan pointed it out to me in postgame what a second threat to attack from the wings, and he was correct. Leek helped space the floor and forced CCS to have to stretch themselves defensively which not only led to space for he and Robles to drive, but opened up interior passing lanes for guys like Trevor Gibson who ended the game with eleven points.
Robles also found himself open for multiple three’s, making two out of three, compounding CCS’s defensive issue as they now had to guard him further out like a shooter versus guarding his drive lane. Very difficult to do both especially at the high school level.
HCA outrebounded CCS thirty to five and had sixteen steals to their none. Simply put, hard to get in position to do either when an offense is flowing and forcing you to chase versus get yourself set properly.
Now we can brag on the Warriors offense forever, and it was most definitely impressive. However, what coach McGowan was most proud of was his teams defense and communication, and I do not blame him.
After giving up a couple early buckets, falling behind 4-0 and 6-2, the HCA defense without much aid from coach McGowan began to communicate what was happening and adjust. It led of course to not just offense, a 30-3 run that spanned the final 12:05 of the half, but to a defensive effort that held the Centurions without a point from the field for over thirteen minutes of game time. That includes the entire second quarter.
It would not relent as the third quarter went back and forth briefly, before HCA went a few mini runs to help extend their lead. They would outscore CCS twenty to fourteen in the third and sixteen to twelve in the fourth. Leading to a 36-26 advantage in the second half.
That is the final difference between game one and game two. Despite still missing some pieces, HCA with Jason Leek returning and a game against CCS under their belt never let the Centurions back in the game.
They used a second quarter where they outscored CCS 16-2 and never let them recover. Game one saw the Centurions claw their way back in the second half to a deficit as low as eight or ten; they were never within better than twenty-eight or thirty in the second half of game number two.
That is what experienced teams do against teams they have played previous, and what great players like Leek do when they return to a lineup. They dominate in ever conceivable way.
Here is the full two minute interview with Coach McGowan after the game praising his guys and looking forward to the next challenge.
Next up is Dickson County High School, a team I am familiar with due to covering them the two years previous to being here in Hopkinsville.
They have a new head coach after firing their previous one after just one season. They lost some talent but also lost some non-team players. They bring size and length, but not necessarily the athleticism and speed of HCA. Should be a classic match-up between differing styles of offense and defense at 5:45 on Tuesday night. The Cougars are 1-0 with an 80-49 win over Clarksville High.
