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(LIAM BAILEY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Ty Thompson jumps to throw the ball to an open teammate while Brock defenders jump to stop him Tuesday, Jan. 28. Thompson was the top scorer for the Steers during the game. -
(LIAM BAILEY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Tyler Allen makes a free throw shot in the Tuesday, Jan. 28 rematch against Brock. Allen managed to get a 3-point shot and a free throw shot in the second quarter to add points on the board. -
(LIAM BAILEY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Bryce Martin looks for an open teammate Tuesday, Jan. 28 and a way to break Brock’s tough defense. The Steers fought hard in the rematch, but the outcome was the same with the game ending in a 38-59 loss for Graham.
Following a loss in their district opener to the Brock Eagles at the beginning of January, the Graham Steers were provided an opportunity to show the growth they have made this season.
While that growth was not enough to make it to victory Tuesday, Jan. 28, it was enough to show just how much the team has improved overall.
The last matchup against Brock ended in a 89-28 loss for Graham, a 61 point difference. With the aggression seen by the Steers throughout the season, the team was not going to let that happen again.
“The guys just play really hard for each other,” head coach Kyle Wood said. “They play with great effort and physicality.”
Ty Thompson, who has been a force for the team each game, put two 2-point shots on the board in the first quarter. The Steers also had assistance in the form of one 2-point shot from Cooper Corley and Jagger Nees and a made free throw shot by Bryce Martin.
While the score was 9-19 at the end of the first quarter, things were already improved from the first game against Brock when the Steers were down 16 points and the score was 8-24.
Wood said the team did a better job of guarding the ball and played much better transition defense during the matchup.
“We work on defensive rotations almost daily, knowing who is matched up and when to pass them off to the next guy,” he said. “(We are working on) trying to be able to get the ball to our third and fourth scoring actions.”
That defense was on display in the second quarter when the Steers held the Brock team to only nine points and scored eight of their own due to Bryce Martin and Tyler Allen. The score at the half was 17-28, which was a much better position than their previous matchup when the score at the half was 15-42.
While the team continued to put points on the board due to free throw shots and 2-point scoring from Nikolas Wankowicz, Jack McEntire, Brodie Martin and Corley, along with a 3-point shot from Martin, the team ultimately fell to the visiting Brock team 38-59.
Leading in scoring for the team was Thompson with eight points, followed by Bryce Martin with seven points, Corley with six points, Brodie Martin with five points, Allen with four points, Wankowicz and Nees with three points and McEntire with two points.
After facing off against Brownwood at home Friday, Jan. 31, the team will travel Tuesday, Feb. 4 to Mineral Wells.
The head coach said the team has seen improvement over the season and will continue to improve as they progress in the district schedule.
“We have started to talk a little better on defense, that helps us continue to progress in rebounding,” he said. “Offensively we are turning the ball over less and not trying to force passes.”
