Laurel downs Indian River, dishing them another loss
The boys’ varsity basketball team at Indian River High School succumbed to another loss this past Tuesday, Jan. 24, as they hosted Henlopen rival Laurel, but it hasn’t been for a lack of trying. The winless Indians were able to keep a competitive edge through the duration of the game before the Bulldogs pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Marquel Knight gave the Indians 16 points in the 39-52 defeat, but missed opportunities on Indian River’s offensive runs kept Laurel out in front. Seniors Kanen Horton and Tyler Robertson scored a dozen points apiece for the Bulldogs, which nudged their team back to a .500 record, leveling out at 6-6 for the season so far.
“It’s been a long season,” said Indian River head coach Marvin Phillips, “but the kids are still working hard. They have a lot of pride, and they’re keeping us in a lot of these games. We missed some free-throws here and some lay-ups there and, in the end, the score might look like a blowout, but we kept fighting all the way through the end.”
Those missed opportunities, however, could have provided a completely different outcome for the Indians. As a team, Indian River went 15-30 from the foul line, and they were unable to capitalize on several field-goal opportunities. A passive rebounding game led to subsequent turnovers to the Bulldogs, as well.
“Foul shots has always been one of our focuses at practice,” said Phillips following Tuesday’s loss, “and earlier in the week, we were stroking every one we were taking. Unfortunately, today, we were shooting blanks.”
Despite a struggling season, Phillips added that keeping a positive outlook on the sideline has helped Indian River’s players keep their heads up, too.
“As a team, we have to keep going at it each game and work hard,” he said. “I know it’s a rough season, but how I act and behave on the side is going to be a reflection on the team. How I carry myself has been one of my goals for the past couple games. I want to ease off but give these guys the encouragement to keep pushing on.”
Laurel head coach Chris Griffin knew that, although the Indians have had their woes this season, the Bulldogs would still have to come ready to play.
“We understood that Indian River was still going to play a tough game,” said Griffin. “We had to come out and play aggressive. I told our team to keep the intensity high. Indian River doesn’t have a lot of guys on the bench, so we wanted to move the ball a lot on the court.”
Although the Bulldogs had managed wins over Indian River earlier this year, as well as over Delmar, Woodbridge, Crisfield High and Salisbury School, they have still had their own missteps through the season.
“We work hard at practice, every night,” Griffin noted, “but with a young team, the more something seems to work, the more they want to try something new. I constantly tell our guys, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Go with what works.”
With back-to-back wins under Griffin’s belt, his Laurel team was poised on improving their record with a game this Thursday, Jan. 26, hosting Delaware Military Academy.
“We need to keep our intensity up,” said Griffin. “We’re taking this season one game at a time. We’re trying to make the state playoffs again, but we’re going to have to win out. We got a taste of it last year, but it ended too quickly.”
As for the Indians, the post-season hopes have been all but vanquished this year, but with five consecutive road games ahead of them, then two more to round out the regular season, Phillips knows his team can’t hang their heads.
“Right now,” he said, “I just want us to go out there, have fun and play basketball. I want to bring back the enjoyment of the game. We’ve got some young guys that will still be here next year, and you’ve still got to give it all you’ve got. If you make a mistake, there’s no sense in getting upset over it. Just get back out there, put it behind you and learn from it.”
The Indians were scheduled to head to Stephen Decatur on Thursday, Jan. 26, then to Delmar on Friday, Jan. 27.
