There’s plenty of reason for optimism in head coach Kyle Roe’s second year at the helm of Adams Central basketball, but there will undoubtedly also be some growing pains as girls new to the lineup cut their teeth on the Indiana hardwood.
Saturday was definitely one of those growing pains nights for the Jets as they opened the season with a 54-30 loss to Lakewood Park Christian on the road.
The team managed to make just six shots in the first three quarters.
“We struggled last night, especially offensively,” admitted Roe Sunday after having some time to reflect on opening night.
The coach has been attempting to build his defense around the pressure that Athena Schwartz provides to opposing point guards and, for the most part, he was pleased with what he saw at the start of the game when the Jets did not possess the ball.
“I was very pleased with our defense in the first half,” he said. “I knew they were a very good shooting team and we were able to hold them to 16 points in that first half.”
The Jets only managed a couple of three-pointers by Ava Stafford in the opening quarter. Audrey Eisberg and Athena Schwartz each made a bucket in the second quarter as the Jets sat at just ten points, but only trailed by six at the break.
Managing just buckets by Stafford and Eisberg in the third quarter, the game got away from the Jets.
“I think we are not where we want to be conditioning-wise and ran out of gas,” Roe theorized.
Although the team made some buckets and doubled their score in the final quarter, they gave up 23 more to Lakewood in the fourth.
“Offensively, we moved the ball well and got shots from whom and where we wanted them, but just couldn’t hit,” said Roe.
The Jets gave a sneak preview of their offensive plans this season, putting up 29 three-point attempts in the game, but they made just five.
Adams Central was 7 of 24 from inside the arc and hit just 1 of 6 at the free throw line.
Ava Stafford led the Jets with 13 points.