HTC boys sluggish out of break

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BY JOHN BOHNENKAMP
PCC SPORTS

WEST BURLINGTON - Holy Trinity’s boys basketball team won two of its three games in the final week before Christmas break.
The break, though, concerned coach John Hellige.
His concerns were realized in Friday’s 52-33 loss at West Burlington.
The Crusaders (3-5) scored just six points in the first 12 minutes of the game, trailed 34-13 at halftime, and never got much going at either end of the court.
“A little tentative offensively and a little tentative defensively,” Hellige said. “I can’t really explain it.”
The Crusaders closed the first part of the season with a 62-47 road win over Mediapolis, just four days after a road win over Van Buren.
“We had a lot of momentum going into Christmas break,” Hellige said. “We talked to the kids several times about how little things matter, we need to pick up the intensity level. We took a full five days off. That was probably a little too long of a break.”
The Crusaders trailed 7-5 four minutes into the game, then were outscored 10-1 by the Falcons through the rest of the first quarter.
West Burlington (6-2), which won its fifth consecutive game, scored the first seven points of the second quarter before a Vasin Thurman layup provided the Crusaders’ first points in almost eight minutes.
After one layup try by the Crusaders rolled off the rim, Hellige just shook his head.
“We got good shots,” Hellige said. “If those shots fall, we get a little confidence, a little bit momentum, and the tide starts to go our way. But they didn’t.”
Holy Trinity did outscore West Burlington 20-18 in the second half.
“A little better,” Hellige said.
Blake Crabtree led the Crusaders with 10 points. Quentin Schneider had seven points and Chandler Rung added six.
Colton Sherwood and Marvion Jackson each had 16 points for West Burlington.
The Crusaders host Cardinal in a girls/boys doubleheader Tuesday at Shottenkirk Gym.

boys basketball, crusaders, Holy Trinity Catholic, Pen City Current, West Burlington

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