Troop poised for home stretch
Troop poised for home stretch
By STU MERRY
The Garrison boys’ basketball team, as well as other Class B boys’ teams, have a brief respite as the Class B girls begin the process of determining who will become the state champion.
According to Trooper Head Coach Jason Mattheis, the Troopers hope to put the nine-day break to good use.
“We’ll have some good practice time … to really button up some things,” Mattheis said.
Plans are to tweak the defensive scheme to match up with Hazen, Beulah, and Center (the final three games of the season).
“Hopefully, we can keep point totals down in those three games and build some more confidence,” Mattheis confided. “Our defense effort is the one thing that has been there with any consistency this season, so we will keep working to make that even more of a strength.”
Reflecting on the North Shore-Plaza and Max games (Feb. 6 and 7), Mattheis shared that the team played well.
“We struggled a little early against North Shore, but found a way to erase the seven-point halftime deficit,” Mattheis said. “North Shore found a way to make some tough shots at the end, but our guys did a nice job hanging on for the win.”
Turning to the Max game, Mattheis said the Troopers’ defensive effort was good.
“We have been working a lot to limit what the other team can do, and it really showed…,” he said. “We also shot the ball well for the first time this season. We hope that will be something we can continue to do the rest of the way.”
Looking ahead as districts approach (Feb. 27-28 and March 2 in Washburn), Mattheis said the Troopers are looking to finish strong with hopes of having a good run through the district tournament.
