Coming off a tough loss to Columbia, North Forrest coach Quenton Loving challenged his players prior to their game Thursday night against West Lincoln.
“I challenged the guys on how we would respond to that tough loss, because we really weren’t that effective on the defensive end,” Loving said.
Thursday’s game was different. Loving’s Eagles limited the Bears, who were averaging 62 points a game coming in, to just 39 as they picked up the win, 55-39.
“We came back tonight, and we were just outstanding defensively,” Loving added. “We really shut them down.”
Another challenge came mid-game when West Lincoln’s Chase Owen hit a full court, three-point buzzer beater which tied the game, 9-9, heading into the second quarter.
“I brought the guys in the huddle, and they were kind of looking around eyes big,” Loving recalled. “They were like, ‘Wow, how did he make that?’ And I said, ‘It’s the end of the first quarter, and we’ve got a long game ahead of us. Let’s just keep fighting and overcome that’.”
Again, another challenge beaten.
After a back-and-forth first half, North Forrest seized control in the third quarter, going on an 11-0 scoring run to bust the game wide open.
“It was huge. Really huge. It was the difference in the game,” Loving said of the run. “They were up by four at halftime, and we come on that huge scoring run to get a little separation. From that point on, we just made some good decisions down the stretch.”
All in all, North Forrest outscored West Lincoln 35-19 in the second half.
Xzavier Barnes, Jalen Grant, Jo Holloway and Brian Swanson scored at least 8 points apiece for the Eagles, who have been relying on that balance all season long.
“That’s been a big key this year and a difference from last year,” Loving said. “We’re getting multiple guys in double figures, so it’s really tough on our opponents. They don’t know who to key on.”
Loving’s Eagles improved to 6-4 with the win. They will be back in action tomorrow (Friday) at Mount Olive.
