Friday night's game started unlike the other three games Athens had played to start the season with the Bulldogs scoring first.
The basket came from Justin Hynes, who caught the ball in the post, took two dribbles, spun and scored at the hoop. It was the first of many points in Athens’ 79-51 win over River Valley in Charles McAfee Gymnasium.
Then, the points kept coming. Another Hynes basket, a Dalton Cozart floater, an Elijah Williams layup and an Eli Chubb three-pointer.
Those baskets, along with others were a part of a 20-0 run to start the game for the Bulldogs. It was 22-5 by the end of the first quarter.
“We came out aggressive,” coach Mickey Cozart said.
When the Bulldogs have had success this season, they have created turnovers from the press. When they make baskets like they did Friday, they can set the press up more effectively and continue to score more points.
With a better set-up with the press, more turnovers were created, and Athens scored many of its points off those turnovers.
“We made some changes, and they worked,” Cozart said. “Hopefully that’s a sign of things to come.”
Coming off those turnovers, the scoring was spread around with multiple players in double figures for just the second time this season.
Athens was looking to spark a turnaround going into the game Friday night after an 0-3 start. While it’s unclear whether the result will actually spark something for the Bulldogs, it can at least give them some confidence moving forward. Beating River Valley was the start to the Tri-Valley Conference season that Athens needed.
The game was the start of a run of three TVC games — an opportunity for the Bulldogs to continue the turnaround after the slow start to the season.
And with the success that the Bulldogs found Friday night, something else happened that may not have happened this season: Cozart could crack a smile during the game.
“A fun smile, yes,” Cozart said, laughing. “There’s been a few smiles like ‘what are we doing?’ But we had fun tonight.”
