By Moses Leos III.
Battling consistency issues, the Lehman Lobos finished with a 2-3 mark earning them third place in the Blue Bracket in the 2013 Rebel Classic.
Despite the issues, head coach Thomas Acker hopes the experience helps the team in the district season.
The Lobos got off on the right foot, defeating Wimberley 71-41.
Lehman found its rhythm on offense, bypassing Wimberley’s zone defense. It allowed Lehman to take open perimeter shots.
“We were assertive and aggressive. That’s what we’ve been preaching, especially against zones,” Acker said. “Our guys were comfortable against that.”
Lehman senior Kraig Shields finishes a dunk during the Rebel Classic, which was held this past weekend. The Lobos completed tournament play with a 2-3 record, finishing third in the Bronze Bracket. (Photo by Moses Leos III) |
Lehman led 38-20 at halftime, and never looked back.
A big key was junior guard Genjiro Gushiken. He helped the Lobos dictate tempo, particularly in the third quarter.
Acker said the experience was crucial for Gushiken, who was filling in for injured senior guard J.R. Torres. He said Gushiken had to get used to the pace of basketball in the United States, which is slower than in his native Japan.
Gushiken’s management, along with torrid shooting, helped Lehman score the most points they’ve had all year.
“We just tried to run our stuff,” senior Kraig Shields said. “Everyone was feeling good.”
However, the Lobos fell into a three-game losing streak.
They fell 49-40 to Leander, then fell to Smithson Valley 67-43 on Friday afternoon.
Acker said both losses saw the Lobos struggle with a similar theme: changing defenses.
Against Leander, the Lions kept the Lobos off balance. Acker also felt the Lions played more aggressively, and with a stronger sense of urgency.
Lehman tried to rebound against Smithson Valley, but struggled with a faster Ranger squad.
Both teams closed the first quarter with a close 12-11 score. However, the second quarter saw the Rangers pull away for good.
Smithson Valley used a full court press to disrupt Lehman, forcing numerous bad passes, which the Rangers quickly turned into points. In addition, their aggressiveness in the paint helped them get to the line.
Lehman tried to rally, getting within 15 with the aid of two big slam dunks from Shields.
But the Rangers went back to the press, hurting Lehman’s offensive capabilities.
Acker believes the team’s youthful guards led to some struggles. However, the team’s inability to work around the defense also proved to be an issue.
“We just didn’t handle pressure well. We were not poised and we panicked,” he said. “That’s what they wanted us to do. It wasn’t traps; it was the illusion of pressure. We didn’t handle it well.”
Lehman’s issues continued against Del Valle in a 62-49 loss.
The Lobos completed the weekend in the Bronze Bracket consolation game, defeating Lanier 58-52 in a rematch of a Lobo loss to the Vikings on Nov.12.
Lanier led 22-21 at the half, aided by Isaiah Wilson, who scored 15 of the 21 points. Wilson led all scorers with 31 points.
Acker said the team focused on isolating Wilson the remainder of the game, forcing him to pass the ball up in the second half. However, they struggled to curb his scoring chances.
The Lobos countered by awakening its offense, finding success from the perimeter.
Aided by senior Robert Salinas, who scored 14 points, the Lobos took a 36-35 lead into the fourth. Lehman then exploded for an 11-4 run, with Rey Gonzales drilling three straight three-pointers.
Lanier wouldn’t go away, but the Lobos had enough to hold them off at the end.
Overall, Acker felt the team was competitive in all of their contests in the tournament. However, consistency will be key for the team as they move forward.
For Shields, the team will work on the things set out by their coaching staff.
“[Our coaches] told us to stop beating ourselves and focus on details - boxing out on rebounds and things like that,” Shields said. “We have to work on being able to run our stuff.”
