*Note: To make local sports coverage possible, sports stories are now a premium article accessible only by The Sentinel’s paid subscribers. To subscribe today for just $4/mo., click here.
By Marcus D. Smith–
Mesa Verde Varsity boys basketball team were in action against Leroy Greene Academy on Tuesday, searching for their first win.
The game was a consistent back-and-forth battle between both squads. Very early on, it was bucket for bucket, blow for blow. Both teams were relentless for their very own purposes.
The Lions were looking win back-to-back games to start their season. As for the Mavericks, they were looking to taste a victory. They lost the previous three games, including a foundation and rivalry game loss with San Juan High School, 63-35.
Mesa Verde came out with intensity to begin the game and maintained that energy throughout the remainder of the game. It was neck-and-neck, but at the half they found themselves down by one point, 24-23.
“We are progressing right now. We’re trying to put in a system where it’s more of a pass-and-drive system,” said Mesa Verde Boys Varsity Head Coach Anthony Watkins. “The kids are picking it up, but we have a lot of freshmen and sophomores on the team, so it’s kind of hard for them to pick up everything. But they’re progressing.”
In the second half, these teams kept trading baskets like prize fighters, the score was knotted up at 36 with under five minutes in the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately for the Mavericks they would experience a late game drought at this point, as they would only score a field goal for the rest of the game. After the five-minute mark, they shot one-for-six from the field and were forced to three turnovers in that time-span.
“We need to cut down on our turnovers. Turnovers really killed us today,” said Watkins. “I think we had 23 turnovers today, so we have to cut that down… Execution of our offense is really hurting us right now but I think that will come with time and more practice, more games, we’ll correct it.”
Following Tuesday’s game, tournament games ran from Thursday to Saturday. Stay tuned for updates on the results.
Sports Reporter Marcus D. Smith covers high school sports in Citrus Heights. Smith is a Sacramento-area native and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2017.
