A 64-57 loss for the Warriors of HCA facing off with Hopkins County Central Storm on Thursday afternoon was easily the best game that HCA has played in KHSAA play; outside of Foundation Christian and Fellowship Christian that is.
The Warriors led after the first, second, and third quarters but could not hold on through the fourth.
Before we start stats and positives, anyone who knows me I avoid discussing referees at all coast. I am a firm believer in the fact that good teams battle through bad calls and great teams overcome bad referees.
However, the second half consisted of a twenty-three to zero foul shot discrepancy. That is absolutely abysmal and should never happen.
That is how mediocre teams stay in ball games and win when they have no business doing so. It is inexcusable for a game to have that level of FT line trips skewed one way. The Storm had six teams fouls in the second half and HCA had fourteen.
Now, there is plenty to work on if you are the Warriors. You cannot get just six points in the fourth quarter after having eighteen in the third. that being said, you also have to find a way to get more than eleven in the second after putting twenty-one up in the first.
The foul discrepancy was prevalent though down the stretch as the game was tight and a back and forth affair for the first four minutes of the fourth quarter. The FT line trips finally caught up to them though, and again it was a struggle to find points for HCA in the fourth.
Positives now. Jason Leek and Carlos Robles combined for thirty-six points. They were aided by six from Tra Fowler who was timely with a three in the first and third, the big point quarters for HCA. Fowler got the start and showed why not just with the ability to stretch the floor but defensively he was the primary defender on Derek Skeen who had zero points in the first half.
Back to the FT line margin though, Skeen had sixteen in the second half, all but three of them came at the line. To make it worse those zero in the first included zero trips as well to the FT line.
Trevahn Jones was the only consistent thing happening for the storm. He had twenty points, six in the first, but only three total at the FT line.
We can continue to harp on the past, but the Warriors do not have that luxury. Another twenty-four hour turnaround and they will face either Trigg County or Gordonsville out of TN.
Trigg would be a rematch and a winnable game for HCA.