Steers comeback falls short in Vernon
For 12 minutes, the Steers played some of the best basketball the team has played all season. The final four minutes of the first half proved too much to overcome as the Steers were defeated by the Vernon Lions, 58-50.
Shooting has been a problem for the Steers this season. It was not a problem at the start of the game. The Steers opened the game on a 14-4 run and looked as if they were going to run away with the game. Lawson Wenninger and Keion Shead combined for 11 points in the run. The Lions responded by outscoring the Steers 9-2 over the final 2:11. The Steers took a 16-13 lead into the second quarter.
The two teams traded baskets for the first three minutes of the second quarter. The Steers were able to pull ahead by six points with a 6-0 run before the shots quit dropping. Over the final three minutes, 20 seconds of the first half, the Lions outscored the Steers 16-2. The Lions led 36-28 at halftime.
“We’re a young team and that’s going to happen,” Steers coach Kris Hise said. “We were finally able to make some shots at the start of the game and get ahead, but that’s what happens when you have a young team. Shooting goes hot and cold and we got real cold.”
For the rest of the story, see the Jan. 22 edition of The Graham Leader.