Coach Mickey Cozart thought the Bulldogs’ performance in their conference opener was a great example of their ability to play as a unit.
“We played good team basketball,” Cozart said. “There was no ‘I’ in any possession today. It was nice to see them play.”
In Athens’ (1-2, 1-0 Tri Valley Conference-Ohio) 69-28 road victory over River Valley (0-3, 0-1 TVC), the Bulldogs were able to get multiple players involved, as they had nine players score.
Senior forward Eli Chubb believes the team is better when more players get involved. He led all scorers in the game with 14 points.
“When play unselfish and move the ball, we’re a very dangerous team,” Chubb said.
The Bulldogs started the game with 12 unanswered points. When the Raiders did finally score their first basket of the game, Athens responded with 13 straight points.
Cozart was impressed with how well the team performed offensively, saying that there was a good flow to the offense. Senior point guard Elijah Williams added to the sentiment.
“Everyone was able to get the ball,” Williams said. “Through running the offense, we were able to get easy buckets and there wasn’t anything that was forced. Everyone did their job.”
Williams, as well as center Isaiah Butcher, was a top scorer for the Bulldogs, both finishing the game with nine points.
At the half, the Bulldogs were up 33-9 and with the game well in hand, some of the junior varsity players started to get reps.
Overall, Cozart saw this as a very complete win for the team.
“We took shots in the flow of what we do,” Cozart said. “I thought our defense was smothering. They got after it. It’s the first time this year they’ve got it going a little bit.”
On the defensive side, Athens forced River Valley to make a lot of mistakes, as the Raiders ended with 32 turnovers.
The Bulldogs used a full-court press against River Valley and it caused a number of turnovers that led to fast break scores on the other end. Chubb noted that the pressure and trapping is a strength of the team.
Athens’ use of a zone also gave the Raiders trouble throughout the entire game. This was something the team worked on so they could come into this game with aggression.
“Coach emphasized our 2-3 (zone) defense and our 2-2-1 (zone defense),” Williams said. “We put that into the game, and the game plan worked.”
On the other side of the ball, reducing the number of turnovers was a focal point in the week of practice since the loss to Waverly. They were much improved against the Raiders and Cozart took noticed of it, saying that they showed more care than the first two games. Chubb thinks part of this improved effort is helped by the team getting deeper into the season.
“It’s just a matter of slowing ourselves down,” Chubb said. “The first two games, you have jitters, so it’s hard to move the ball around.”
Athens’ next game will be a part of the Big E Classic at Fairland High School when they take on Chesapeake (2-0). Tip-off at the Carl York Center will be Saturday at 2 p.m.
Cozart knows the Panthers will be a tough game, and that playing them as the second half of a back-to-back will not do the team any favors.
“We got a long bus ride.”
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