PLYMOUTH – In the course of the season it is moving forward that is the test and while the results were disappointing in a loss in the home opener to New Prairie 46-29.
“It’s a frustrating night,” said Plymouth head coach Ryan Bales. “It’s frustrating to lose at home. To me, it’s about finding a way and we didn’t get the job done. We’ll get to work on Monday and have another tough test on Tuesday.”
While there were many of the same problems as opening night the Pilgrims found a way to take some steps forward.
“We were defensively better for sure,” said Bales. “We still have to make some winning plays when it comes down to it. A big rebound here and there, coming up with a loose ball.”
“We continue to shoot the ball extremely poorly,” he said. “I don’t know what that answer is.”
Better from the free-throw line with 6-12, it was still a rough night shooting, especially from beyond the arc. Plymouth was 11-44 (22 percent) from the field and 1-16 from three-point range, Brady Hissong the only successful launch.
“We had the right players shooting the shots,” said Bales. “But maybe sometimes we have to pass up a shot and get the ball moving from side to side and trust that the ball is going to come back to you.”
“We have to do a better job of execution and that falls on myself,” said Bales. “We never got into what we were supposed to get into and ultimately that falls on me.”
“We have to get back to work,” said Bales. “Right now on the offensive end, there seems to be a lack of trust with each other. I think everybody sees that and now we need our players to see it. We have to move the basketball and until we do that the numbers aren’t going to jump the way we want them to jump.”
Jake Reichard was more of a force being able to stay on the floor without foul trouble and put in 15 points with six rebounds, both leading the Pilgrims.
“We’ve got to get some other guys to find a way to score a bucket from time to time,” said Bales. “As many shots as we missed tonight we have to find a way to get more offensive boards, and we had too many people spectating.”
“The bottom line is that we have to play together as a team and we aren’t there yet.”
The Pilgrims have lost their first two games and take on Triton on the road on Tuesday. New Prairie is now 2-0.
•NEW PRAIRIE 46, PLYMOUTH 29
at Plymouth
New Prairie 9 24 38 46
Plymouth 11 16 22 29
Plymouth (29) — Reichard 5 3-6 13, Hissong 1 2-3 7, Styers 2 0-0 4, Strain 1 0-0 2, Yoder 1 0-0 2, Winkle 0 1-2 1. Totals 19 6-9 25
New Prairie (46) — McBride 9 0-0 15, Ketterer 3 2-3 8, Smith 3 0-0 6, Daniels 2 0-0 6, Foerg 2 0-0 4, Moreno 2 0-0 4, Flagg 1 0-0 3. Totals 19 2-6 46.
3pt FG — New Prairie 6-22 (McBride 3), Plymouth 1-16 (Hissong).
Rebounds — New Prairie 30 (Smith 12), Plymouth 25 (Reichard 6).
Steals — New Prairie 5 (McBride 2), Plymouth 9 (Winkle 3).
Assists — New Prairie 9 (Flagg 3), Plymouth 3 (Reichard, Hissong, Winkle).
Turnovers — New Prairie 6, Plymouth 13.
