Washington tied the game a few times in the first quarter, but spent the majority of Wednesday’s contest trailing in a 68-60 loss to Greene Central. The size differential left the Pam Pack outmatched on the boards. The Rams took advantage of offensive rebounds to get plenty of second-chance opportunities.

The visiting Rams had two forwards taller than 6-foot-4. That gave them a decisive edge considering 6-foot-9 forward Ernest Reese is the only Washington player listed above that mark.

“They’re bigger than us and they’re very athletic,” said head coach Steven Flowers. “I’ve only got about three big men, so when they get tired, I go really little. That was a problem for us.”

Washington found plenty of success getting out in transition in their season-opener against Northern Nash. They were able to some easy buckets that way against Greene Central, but the Rams’ speed stifled that a bit.

“We can match anybody in speed, but you can’t do much with speed if you can’t rebound,” Flowers said.

The Pam Pack turned up the offensive aggression as the game progressed. They drove the lane, looking to either lay it in or draw a foul. It worked out well as they claimed 11 points at the charity stripe. However, they also missed a hefty amount of chances at the free-throw line.

It also served a purpose by getting a couple of Rams in foul trouble.

“That’s what we told them,” Flowers said. “We had to get aggressive and attack the rim. They didn’t block as many shots as I thought they were going to block. And if they get in foul trouble, that’s going to hurt their offense.”

Washington scratched and clawed throughout. Greene Central owned a 50-29 lead in the later stages of the third quarter. Brandon Jackson made a pair of layups and a free throw. That helped the Pam Pack go on a 9-0 run from the end of the third to the start of the fourth.

It brought them within 12, but they struggled to bunch together the baskets necessary to overcome the deficit. Meanwhile, Greene Central was able to do just that to pull away. Tre Wade weaved a pass through the lane to Brad Monroe, who gently laid it in to highlight a late-game 7-0 run.

“We tried to play our man-to-man and switch it up with our zone,” said Greene Central coach Charles Harris. “We gave them a different look to come back to. With man-to-man, we just want to stay in front of them and try and let them make a mistake, pick up the loose ball and go get a shot.”

Flowers added, “They’re active and quick. (We made) lazy passes … But one of the things we know for sure is we have a lot of heart. We keep fighting. If we eliminate the mental mistakes and take care of the basketball, we should be fine.”