Second half hurts Truckers in loss

NORWALK — Progress was made. Unfortunately for the Norwalk boys basketball team, that progress hasn't carried over into a four-quarter game yet. After pushing visiting Clyde for two-plus quarters the night before, the Truckers did the same against visiting Huron in non-league play Saturday at NHS. Norwalk trailed 29-26 at halftime and still trailed by just three points two minutes into the third quarter. But the Tigers proceeded to go on a 16-4 scoring run to take control in the 57-39 victory. In the first half, the Truckers (0-16) had held the rebounding advantage by one and committed just four turnovers in the 16 minutes. Junior Xavier Saunders then sparked the offense, as he had a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter of a 14-12 deficit, then added nine more points in the second quarter for 15 of his team's 26 points. "While we didn't shoot the ball well in the first half, or really for the game, you are able to stay in games when you play like that, even if you're not shooting real well," NHS head coach Adam Kreischer said. But the problem for the Truckers came in the second half. The shooting woes continued, but the rebounding edge and limiting of turnovers also went away. Huron (6-11) out-rebounded the Truckers by 10 in the second half. Norwalk also had 11 turnovers in the 16 minutes. "So when you're doing those types of things and don't shoot well, it will be a real struggle, which the second half was for us," Kreischer said. Huron's Nixon Dike and Norwalk's Kingston Gonzales traded baskets to start the third quarter. But the Tigers then went on a 10-0 scoring run over a 2:17 stretch to take a 41-28 lead at the 3:34 mark. Norwalk's Nolan Jones stopped a scoring drought of 4:25 when he scored in the lane, then teammate Brandon Carty beat the quarter buzzer with a deep jumper from the right corner to make it a 43-32 deficit. But Huron's Dike and Jack Raglow opened the final quarter with consecutive baskets to make it 47-32 with 6:53 remaining. Carty made a 3 with 2:05 remaining to make it 52-39, but the Tigers closed out the game with the final five points. "I really believe that progress was made in the three quarters against Clyde on Friday, and there was progress made tonight as well at times," Kreischer said. "We've been trying to do some different things offensively in practice and asking these guys to learn how to play a little more, knowing this year is about growth for them. "So we've been doing things with an open post (floor spacing) on offense, and those things have looked good in practice." Carty and Gonzales each added seven points behind Saunders' 15 that he scored in the first half. Kreischer said there has been progress in general in the week leading into the home doubleheader; it just hasn't carried over to game action yet in terms of the Truckers' half-court offense. "Things that looked better (Saturday) were when Clyde pressured us, we handled it well and attacked that pressure and got open looks," he said. "When Huron did that and went to some high-zone stuff where they tried to turn us over, we handled that and got open looks. "Progress made in those areas and in the half court offensively just has not carried over into the games yet." The Truckers will be challenged with another two-game weekend when they host Bellevue (11-6, 4-3) on Friday and visit Ashland (10-7) on Saturday. HURON (6-11) Caleb Staley 3-0—8; Nixon Dike 8-0—17; Jack Raglow 2-2—7; Parker Schafer 7-5—20; Grant Periat 1-0—3; Paul Murray 1-0—2. TOTALS 22-7—57. NORWALK (0-16) Kingston Gonzales 3-0—7; Xavier Saunders 4-4—15; Nolan Jones 3-0—6; Brandon Carty 3-0—7; Jack Pittenger 2-0—4. TOTALS 15-4—39. Huron 14 15 14 14 — 57 Norwalk 12 14 6 7 — 39 3-point FGs: (H) Staley 2, Dike, Raglow, Schafer, Periat; (N) Saunders 3, Gonzales, Carty.