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#15 (not on roster) drives to the basket against Wellston High School on January 13th, 2016 STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER|MATT STARKEY

Athens Basketball: Bulldogs fall to the New Lexington Panthers

Athens may have lost its previous game, but both coach Mickey Cozart and the stat sheet suggested that it was actually the team’s best performance of the season.

The Bulldogs were hoping for a change in fortunes in the final score on Tuesday night against New Lexington, but early struggles put them into an early hole. Ultimately, they couldn’t recover, as they fell to the Panthers 71-62.

“We didn’t come out ready to play basketball tonight,” Cozart said. “Our effort was not there.”

The Bulldogs were slow from the start, as poor ball control and a lack of discipline put them in a hole that grew larger throughout the game. Athens finished the game with 11 turnovers and committed 28 fouls.

Griffin Lutz, the team’s primary player who finished the night with 30 points, fouled out with 30 seconds remaining in the game.

Offensively, Athens also struggled with its shot selection and overall shooting abilities, going 4-of-19 behind the 3-point line, and just 21-of-50 on field goals. The Bulldogs’ 62 total points were their fourth-lowest this season.

To get back on track, the Bulldogs need to refocus, which circles around an aggressive defense and a quick offense that can drive to the hoop when it needs to — neither of which were on display Tuesday night.

Athens’ loss drops its record to 7-4, which adds importance to its next game Saturday night on the road against a tough opponent, the Warren Warriors (14-2). Another Bulldogs’ loss would put them at risk of falling out of second place in the TVC to Meigs.

“We’ve got to show up and be ready to play basketball,” Cozart said.

@anthonyp_2

ap012215@ohio.edu

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