BASKETBALL: Warriors bounce back from first loss
A day after their unbeaten streak was ended by Sparta, the Du Quoin Middle School boys basketball team bounced back with a 68-22 victory at Trico behind double-digit scoring efforts from Braeden Pursell (15 points), Lomontay Daughtery (13) and Kadin Mays (11).
It was pretty much academic after the Warriors raced to a 19-4 lead after the first quarter and extended that advantage to 36-6 at the half.
After the game, head coach Aaron Wright said he was happy with his team's effort, which was far better than it was on Monday night in the team's first loss of the season.
"(Against Sparta) we played exactly like we practiced," Wright said. "We didn't respect the game, we didn't respect Sparta, and it showed. They ran circles around us. We weren't ready to play. Tonight, better effort, better discipline. I told them we've got to pull up our big boy pants next week because we play Pinckneyville and Centralia back-to-back. We'll have to be disciplined, and we'll have to be focused."
Jacob Green finished the game with 7 points off the bench, Owen Bradley, Jason Whitfield and Nathan Riley each had 4, Dajon Johnson 3, Brian Winters, Braden Higgins, Alec Caldwell and Dasani Edward 2, and Alex Zimmerman 1.
On Monday night at home, the Warriors led 13-11 over Sparta after one period of play before the visitors took charge with an 18-11 second quarter to lead 29-24 at the break. DMS couldn't find their rhythm and wound up with two players fouling out of the game as they tasted defeat for the first time in 2015.
"We didn't have very good practices (heading into the Sparta game)," said Wright. "We weren't focused. I think they think they're a little better than they are, and they don't have to work at it - that's now how Du Quoin basketball is going to go. We're going to play hard and we're going to be disciplined. We're going to play our style of ball and respect the game and our opponents."
Daughtery had 16 points against Sparta, Mays and Pursell each had 8, Winters 5, Zimmerman and Edwards 3, Johnson and Wade Roberson each scored 2.
The Warriors (7-1) get a week off before back-to-back games with unbeaten Pinckneyville (10-0) and Centralia next Tuesday and Wednesday.