Yoe can’t overcome slow first half

Winning on the road in district play is never an easy task. It’s also that much more difficult when you’re playing quality competition like Franklin, with whom the Yoemen were matched up with on Tuesday in 20-3A basketball action.

Cameron has been up and down in terms of their consistency in games, and in this one, it was another slow start, with only 20 points in the first two quarters and a 10-point halftime deficit. That advantage was trimmed down throughout the final two quarters, but the hill was just too much to climb this time in a 64-58 loss.

Cameron had a change of game plan in the second half, and it worked, but it didn’t translate into a win this time.

“The second half we put on a half court trap rather than a full-court trap,” said Yoe coach Nick Burns. “They adjusted pretty well to the full-court trap. They didn’t adjust well to that, so if we would have stayed in that the whole game, we’d of beat them. That is just the bottom line.”

In that second half, Cameron was able to increase their production by turning defense into offense. The Yoemen forced 21 turnovers in the game, and senior Levi May took advantage of transition opportunities, scoring 16 of his 18 points in the 3rd and 4th quarters.

Another key stat in this game was three-point shooting. Cameron only had a trio of long-range shots while the Lions converted on eight threes, many of which put a holt on what appeared to be a Yoe comeback.

“I feel like we have to put together a buzzer to buzzer game,” said Burns. “Our guys have a switch they can cut on, and we have to get them to do that at the beginning of the game. When we start digging these holes against good teams, they aren’t going to be as nice to us. You dig that kind of hole against Franklin and your not going to come out of it. We have to figure out a way to pick up our defensive intensity in the first half.”

Sophomore Calvin Stewart was also in double figures with 10 points, while Jay Shields came in with 7 and Donrick Moore and Nico Vargas each had 6. LaRondre Booze led the team in rebounding with 5.

Cameron (1-1) will host winless Lexington (0-2) on Friday and will bring in Rogers on Tuesday.

20-3A Results and Standings

Tuesday Games: Franklin 64, Cameron 58; Hearne 80, Rockdale 65; Jarrell 60, Academy 28; Rogers 53, Lexington 37.

Standings: 1. Franklin (2-0), 2. Jarrell (1-0), 3. Cameron Yoe (1-1), 3. Academy (1-1), Rogers (1-1), 3. Hearne (1-1), 7. Rockdale (0-2), 7. Lexington (0-2)

3A Boys Top 25 (January 1)

1. Jarrell (13-4), 2. Brock (21-2), 3. S.A. Cole (22-1), 4. Central Heights (17-6), 5. Palestine Westwood (20-2), 6. Bowie (12-6), 7. Ponder (18-5), 8. East Chambers (18-1), 9. Peaster (13-8), 10. Edgewood (15-2), 11. Dallas Madison (3-15), 12. Nocona (15-4), 13. Wall (16-1), 14. Hitchcock (10-10), 15. Van Vleck (6-4), 16. Mt. Vernon (18-1), 17. Kountze (8-6), 18. Van Alstyne (13-8), 19. Schulenburg (12-7), 20. La Marque (7-11), 21. Pollok Central (15-6), 22. Teague (4-3), 23. Commerce (8-8), 24. Canadian (4-1), 25. Santa Rosa (8-8).