CIRCLEVILLE — With three seconds left on the clock, Micah Saltzman stepped in front of a pass, intercepted it and dribbled out the clock.
The steal sealed Athens’ 49-44 win at Logan Elm on Saturday night. The steal also embodied the turnaround the Bulldogs have made over the last three games.
When successful, the Bulldogs create turnovers and play on the fast break; over their three-game winning streak, they've been able to do that. For a majority of the season, they were not able to create the turnovers that kick-start the offense.
A lot of easy layups came from the 13 steals and 19 points off turnovers the Bulldogs produced Saturday. In the half court, however, the jump shots didn't fall the way they normally do for Athens.
Even with double digit steals, the Bulldogs probably didn’t play as well as they should have.
“I felt that we struggled defensively tonight,” coach Mickey Cozart said. “I thought (we played well) in spurts. I felt that we didn’t play at the level we could for whatever reason.”
Instead, the Bulldogs found baskets from getting the ball into the post and the paint. The star of that show was Justin Hynes, who scored 13 points.
Four of those points came from the two assists out of the hands of Isaiah Butcher, finding Hynes from mid-baseline to the middle of the paint. Baskets coming that way don’t come often for the Bulldogs, and with the sophomore Butcher becoming a starter in the absence of injured senior Dalton Cozart, it may be a new addition to Athens’ offensive arsenal.
“Isaiah is a great passer,” Mickey said. “That’s another advantage we think we have. He can stretch the floor, he can shoot and he can make that pass.”
With the win Saturday being the third straight for the Bulldogs, their confidence is improving. With two games in a row decided in the last minute — Tuesday against Vinton County and Saturday — the Bulldogs’ toughness has been tested. And Mickey knows that his team is ready for just about everything.
“There’s not much panic in us anymore,” he said.
And without panic, the Bulldogs are setting themselves up well for the postseason. The win against Logan Elm improves their standing in their sectional, and gives confidence moving forward.
“You want to beat as many teams in your district as you can,” Mickey said. “And that’s a good win.”
