Due to an imbalance between offense and defense, the Starr’s Mill varsity boys basketball team lost the annual Battle of the Bubble game against McIntosh, 68-61.
“We have to fight,” head coach Josh Reeves said. ”These games have to prepare us for later games.”
The lineup for this year’s team consists of experienced players with skill across the board.
Starr’s Mill’s highest scorer was junior Scott Steven with 16 points. Right behind him was a tie between seniors Steven Barro and Rhenart Hernandez, both with 13 points.
On McIntosh’s side of things, their highest scorers were juniors Adan Dollens with 23 points and Macon Teal with 21.
Starr’s Mill controlled the flow of the game in the opening quarter. Stevens helped the Panthers jump out to a quick lead.
The team’s passing game helped Starr’s Mill maintain possession and tempo. However, that momentum was then stopped by McIntosh late in the quarter with some strong 3-point shooting. The Panthers led 14-10 after the first quarter.
The second quarter was a back-and-forth battle. Each team evenly matched, with Starr’s Mill scoring in the paint and McIntosh outside of it. McIntosh led by one at the break, 26-25.
“We just didn’t have the hustle,” junior William Robinson said.
Going into the third quarter, it was a battle for the ball. Just like in the second quarter, each time one team scored, the other scored again. Barro fought hard to get the ball to Stevens, allowing them to keep a strong momentum. Hernandez also led the team in points this quarter, scoring eight points. This quarter ended 48-40 in favor of the Panthers.
The final quarter was a battle to see who could lose momentum first. Both teams fought to control the last few minutes of the game. This fight, however, ended with Starr’s Mill not scoring in critical moments. McIntosh sealed the win, 68-61.
“We got too sped up,” Stevens said.” We focused too much on offense and not enough on defense.”
Starr’s Mill played against Newnan High School the following day and lost 53-50. They will play again on December 16 against Buford High School. Region play begins after the holiday break.