The law of averages suggests that the Berkshire Badgers boys’ basketball team is due to finally enjoy a strong shooting performance sooner or later. It did not happen in their first game of the New Year, when they were doomed by another poor second half of play, losing 49-41 against Fairport Harding last Friday evening in Burton.
“We are not making shots and we have had some really bad fourth quarters and free throw shooting has not been the greatest,” Coach Joe Montanero said. “Friday night was just a continuation of the season. It is not because we are not playing hard or the kids are not working at it, but we just do not have many shot makers right now.”
It was an all-too familiar script for the Badgers (1-8. 0-3) last Friday evening as another promising start evaporated because of a lackluster second half. According to the third-year coach, it has been a frustrating trend during the season.
Berkshire enjoyed a strong first half to take a 25-20 advantage into the break but its offense stalled in the third period, scoring only eight points.
Despite a disappointing third period, Montanero said he had been pleased with Berkshire’s defensive performance.
“We had them at the exact game plan that we wanted,” he added. “We had them at the exact pace we wanted, we zoned them and we were doing exactly what we needed to do and it was the same thing at halftime. We didn’t really have to make any adjustments.”
Things spiraled out of control in the fourth quarter as the team was once again undone by its shooting woes. Montanero said that the Badgers committed two turnovers at the beginning of the quarter and quickly fell behind. Once the Skippers assumed the lead, Berkshire could not respond.
Like all season, the Badgers could not make shots from practically anywhere on the floor and Montanero acknowledged it put too much pressure on the defense to sustain an ineffective offense.
Montanero noted that Berkshire has not shot well all season. He attributed some of the team’s struggles to inexperience and added that a lot of players who were used to being role players last year have been forced to take on larger offensive roles but so far it has been a struggle.
He acknowledged that not even he could have foreseen the Badgers experiencing such poor shooting and added that the team’s poor shooting performance has started to create some doubt in the players.
Despite Berkshire’s offensive struggles in the fourth quarter, Montanero said that the team was still within striking distance in the final two minutes with several chances to trim the score to a one-possession game but squandered a fast break lay-up opportunity and could not knock down open shots from beyond the arc, forcing them to foul Fairport Harding to have a chance of getting the ball back.
As far as Montanero was concerned, the shooting struggles have been a more difficult pill to swallow because it has not been for a lack of effort by his players. They have been putting in the time in and beyond to improve their shot-making ability in practice. Unfortunately, the Badgers’ hard work still has yet to yield any positive results.
“We have high character guys,” he added. “We were in there New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day on the shooting machines although it was not mandatory. Those are the guys that I have got, they come in there and they work their butts off. They know it has been a problem, they are working at that real hard. When everybody shows up, you know you have a bunch of high character guys, they are getting their nose to the grindstone and working hard.”
As hard as Berkshire has worked, it is in the midst of its second four-game losing streak of the season. As bad as things have been for the Badgers, Montanero is positive that they will break out of their shooting slump and enjoy one of its best shooting games of the season. The only question is when it will happen. He stressed that his team is far from finished.
“I have seen it happen where we shoot the ball well and I know when we shoot the ball well we are good because we bust our butts on defense and we play defense,” he said. “If we start hitting shots, that is the whole thing about it, we will beat some teams that do not expect it.”
After hosting Kinsman Road and Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division foe Cardinal on Tuesday night, the Badgers will host league foe Crestwood on Saturday at 4:15 p.m.
