Steers find shooting touch too late in loss at Breckenridge

The Graham Steers showed glimpses of what could be the future. They also struggled early with ball security and often with perimeter defense. While the shots did not drop in the first half, the Steers found their shot, particularly from behind the arc. It was too little, too late for the Steers, who dropped their third straight game to open the season, 62-56.

Neither team could maintain possession of the ball through missed shots and turnovers in the opening game. While the Steers struggled from anywhere in the field, it was the Buckaroos’ Zeke Castillo doing the most damage. He hit three of four shots combined by either team. His three 3-pointers allowed an 11-3 advantage after the first quarter. Travis Anderle scored all three of the Steers’ first-quarter points. His two-point field goal with 50 seconds remaining in the quarter was the Steers’ first field goal of the game. The Steers shot 1-11 from the field in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, it was the inside presence of Jerry Lawson that the Steers struggled to maintain. While the 3-point shooting for the Buckaroos was not as much of a factor in the quarter, Lawson scored six points inside the paint to guide the hosts in extending their lead by halftime.  While the Steers’ shooting improved slightly, it was their ability to get to the free-throw line that kept their hosts from completely running away with the game. They shot 6-10 late in the quarter to keep the deficit below doubled digits at 26-17 by halftime. The lead was cut to six points but grew after multiple points after turnovers by the Buckaroos.

For the rest of the story, see the Dec. 4 edition of The Graham Leader.