Double_Dribble

This from Lumberton Assistant Coach Matt Pace:
Gotta love when people make excuses. We didn't play good tonight. Had 3 starters with the flu. But no excuses silsbee jumped on us played better. We didn't play tough tonight. Simple as that. Silsbee wasnt dirty they play tough defense. People got to stop making excuses for poor play.

Ow I bet ever time we get way up on Lumberton there is are some type of excuses. Silsbee straight up out playing Lumberton. 

If ur playing dirty, I dont think that will have you up 28. Maybe 6 or 7. 

Dirty??? No playing fast aggressive defense.  Haven’t seen anything close to dirty.  Best I have seen the Tigers look in a while.

I don’t come over here to the basketball thread too often, but I’m quite surprised to see our town making excuses for us getting whooped by Silsbee. Ain’t no excuse in the book acceptable except the fact that Silsbee is just way better. I thought that was common knowledge. 
Refs? Dirty play? Come on man! We could pay the refs off and pay Silsbee to play a loose zone defense and still get beat...

I just talked to my ref buddy he said if any player gets a tech the coach has to sit down, that’s coming from a guy that has ref for a long time.

Thats about right.  The shooter off the bench was the kid from Evadale they lost him and the point guard was the kid from HJ starter they lost him.  The senior post that started and the post off the bench were lost.  Plus a senior bench player that rarely played.  #4 who was the shooter off the bench is now a starter/6th man. 
So like said they lost 4 seniors and you are correct they lost another post.  But they returned 3 starters, replaced the HJ kid with #4, replaced the starting center with a new senior, replaced their bench center with a freshman, replaced the Evadale boy with Bridgers, and have two seniors on the bench to make up for #4 moving to the starting line up and the 4th senior they lost last year.  Overall the 3 returning starters are better this year, especially McClure.  #4 is better than than the HJ move in.  Bridgers is the leaps and bounds better than anyone they lost.  The two new centers are different players than what they lost but they bring the same amount of value to the team.  Then the two bench seniors offset #4 to the starting line up and the 4th senior they lost.  
The team last year was good, Rideaux was influential to their success(this is not meant as a negative shot at Mitchell). But this year’s team is better, yes they only suit up 9.  But last year they only played 7 to 8 and suited up 14.  This year they only play 7 to 8, the biggest difference is the the talent difference between the 4 primary starters to the bench is greater.  But this is because the starters are better than last year’s starters not because the bench isn’t as deep as last year.  Again watched every game this year and last, but only my opinion.  

Maybe he was trying to show them how to set a pick. Lol

I’ve watched them a lot this year they have the ability to go 7 even 8 deep which is basically what they had last year.  Their 7th man hasn’t played in the last two games not sure why, he had been playing and contributing prior.  

Bridge City looked good in the game.  Tough physical defense and hit from deep.  They had a excellent game plan that stymied the Lumberton Players.  Lumberton players looked out of sorts until the 2 minute mark in the fourth.  Bridge City appeared in control for the majority of the game with Lumberton struggling to keep it close.  Lumberton final seemed to get things going and won it in the final 2 minutes.  The game was interesting because it was close, but for the majority of the game Bridge City simply out worked and out hustled Lumberton.  No players stood out for Lumberton, few good plays here and there.  #4 and #23 for Bridge City were stand outs for Bridge City.  Both these boys hit contested threes throughout the game.  In my opinion the Lumberton players seemed to take this one for granted as a result almost lost.  
Mitchell and his staff did everything except get on the floor play last night.  Lumberton’s three coaches worked their tails off trying to get something out of those boys.  They suited up 9, played 6.  But Mitchell was rotating those six constantly trying to find a combo that would play.  He went with a big man(wore #23, thought he’s worn #11 in the past) in the starting five which paid dividends against the bigger BC team and used a guard #4 off the bench.  I was somewhat surprised he didn’t go deeper into his bench to look for a spark as he normally goes to his 7th man (#10) who played well the last few games but received a DNP-CD.  Overall Lumberton loses this game if not for the coaching staff.  Mitchell and his staff kept the playoff hopes alive for Lumberton.