Hounds drop two over the weekend

FORT MADISON – The Fort Madison Bloodhound basketball team is 0-8 and dropped two games this weekend at home.
With that on the plate, one would think Head Coach Ryan Wilson would be a little dismayed, but he said the Hounds took big steps in their 58-50 loss to Mt. Vernon in the Hound Dome.
“Today’s a huge step. You watch us last night and you watch us tonight and we’re two different teams completely. They need to buy in and do the things we’re coached to do,” Wilson said Saturday.
“Defense has to be a priority. You wouldn’t think we work on and talk and preach defense after last night, but we do.”
The Hounds dropped an 86-65 loss to Southeast Conference foe Washington at home Friday, setting their conference record at 0-4.
“We went to a different starting lineup tonight. We need to find that group that will get us going and communicating and working hard. Maybe we found that today, I don’t know. We have to continue to want to get better.”
Nolan Guzman almost single-handedly brought the Hounds back into the game Saturday and created a two-possession game with 40 seconds left.
The senior put up 19 points in the second half, including an acrobatic scoop layup in the air that drew a foul for a 3-point play, and a couple 3-balls back-to-back in the third period. The run cut into the Mustangs' eight-point lead headed into the fourth quarter.
The Hounds would work the game back to a short-lived tie at 47, but a crazy left-handed loft from Brogan Meyer in the lane found its way to the bottom of the net for a 49-47 lead. Fort Madison would tie it up on the next possession on a put-back from freshman Jonah Tackett off his own miss in the lane.

The Mustangs would score on back-to-back possessions to take the lead for good. The Hounds had to go into foul mode with five fouls to give, but didn’t get their first foul for about 20 seconds, leaving just over 30 seconds to recover from a five-point deficit. After four quick fouls in six seconds the Mustangs went to the line. With four Hounds on the box and one Mustang, the ball bounced away from 6’9” Darius Foy and into the hands of Mt. Vernon’s only player on the lane and the Mustangs were able to run out the clock.
Wilson said that’s part of the mental game the Bloodhounds are still getting a grasp on.
“A little bit of everything. It’s just getting through situations. Like that freethrow situation. There’s one of their guys on the lane, why isn’t our 6’9” guy on that side blocking out? Automatic. No brainer,” he said.
“It’s the mental part where we're lacking right now. Understanding situations and what we need to do. Get that rebound and we go down and score, call timeout, and it’s a one-possession game.
“But give our guys some credit, especially after last night. They made some adjustments today and communicated, defensively. We go from 86 points to 58 in one night. We had a lot of big conversations today about keeping it simple.”
Foy, who rejoined the team following the holiday break, has found foul trouble in both games back. The junior had just seven points Saturday and 16 on Friday, 14 in the second half. But he was in foul trouble in the second quarter with three and played with four in the fourth period.
“Two nights in a row, he’s been in foul trouble. As soon as he realizes his hands need to go straight up he’ll create some misses off that action. Right now he’s bringing his hands down and that allows the refs to make some calls,” Wilson said.
“Eight point loss, with him in foul trouble...we played a lot better and we need to build off this.”
Fort Madison is off now until next Saturday when they travel to Donnellson to take on Central Lee in a girls'/boys' doubleheader.