Pam Pack loses hold in second half
Published 5:11 pm Thursday, December 17, 2015
LITTLEFIELD — Sometimes thing just don’t swing the right way. Such was the case in Washington’s 64-51 loss at Ayden-Grifton on Wednesday. Because of that, the Pam Pack saw a two-point game at halftime turn into a double-digit loss.
The referees missed a couple of calls in Washington’s favor — especially down the stretch — and the boys didn’t have the contributions of leading scorer Shaiquan Moore. His only made basket came in the first quarter and he finished the contest 1-of-6 from the field.
The Pam Pack had a 28-26 lead coming out of halftime. The first 16 minutes were back-and-forth with few runs made by either team. Each side had answers for the baskets made by the other.
The second half was a polar opposite in that regard. The hosting Chargers opened up the third period on a 12-0 spree that earned them a 38-28 lead. Washington ended the quarter on run of its own, outscoring Ayden-Grifton 12-2 to tie the game at 40-40 heading into the fourth.
Tyshawn Cobb broke his side’s drought with back-to-back layups. William Tate and Sharwan Staton knocked down 3 pointers to help Washington climb back in it.
The Chargers kicked off the fourth much like they did the third. An 11-2 run put them up 51-42 and was about enough to put it out of reach for Washington. Quick treys from Suae Poe and Staton pulled the Pam Pack within five, 53-48, but that was as close as it would get. Intentional fouls and a technical called against coach Steven Flowers gave Ayden-Grifton more than enough chances to ice the game at the free-throw line.
The first half was much closer. Washington elected to earn most of its points at the rim. The Chargers, on the other hand, drilled four 3s in the first quarter alone. It helped them keep the slashing Pam Pack from building a lead, but Ayden-Grifton only hit two more from long range in the rest of the game.
“We didn’t change anything,” Flowers said. “We were playing man. I guess they were just hitting shots and then not hitting shots. We thought about getting in zone, but since they were hitting, we didn’t change. Our biggest thing was the third quarter. We couldn’t score and the game got away from us.”
Washington trailed by one, 17-16, at halftime. Staton and Kaleb Spencer each hit 3s in the second quarter to help spread the court as Cobb continued to excel down low.
Cobb led the way with 21 points and seven rebounds. Staton added another 16 points and two assists in the losing effort.