Knights Varsity Capture 1st in Christmas Tourney

By Shirley Shuman
BCMS boys took first place in the four-team basketball tournament the middle school hosted last Friday and Saturday and added a win at Richwood earlier this week. They defeated Geary and then Calhoun to win the tournament. Pleased with his team’s success, Coach Drew Taylor said he is “very proud of [the team’s] second half efforts” but added, “We need to come out early and make more effort from the get-go.”
In the first round of the tournament, the Knights went up against Geary and dominated from the beginning. At the end of the first quarter, Braxton led 22-0. Here Coach Taylor emphasized that his starters did not play after that quarter. “The whole bench rotated in the game and we led 32-5 at halftime,” he said. Braxton won that game 55-15. The coach continued to explain that from the beginning of the third quarter, all the jv players which had been brought up played.
Braxton’s second game was against Calhoun for the tournament championship. Coach Taylor referred to Calhoun as “a very athletic team” and indicated that it provided challenge for his players. In that game, the Knights were down 16-5 at the end of the first quarter in which they shot 2 for 15. After the first quarter, with the coach admonishing his players to show “hustle and effort,” the Knights went on a 19-6 run and were up 24-22 at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Knights extended their lead “to as much as 20 points at some times” and were up by 17 going into the fourth. All bench players and all junior varsity players got in the game in the fourth. Braxton won 56-43. Coach Taylor pointed out that he was pleased his players “shared the ball and improved their shooting” for the win.
Braxton defeated Richwood 48-22 in the team’s other game last week. “They messed up and missed a plethora of layups in the first quarter and were up only 14-8 going into the second,” the Knights’ coach pointed out. The team still struggled in the second quarter but “forced turnovers led to easy buckets,” Coach Taylor said. At halftime, the Knights were up 27-15.
In the second half, the team tightened their defense and held Richwood to 7 points. Coach Taylor emphasized that the press worked, and his team had a lot of easy baskets off turnovers. In the fourth quarter, players from the bench and jv players took to the court.
Braxton played Gilmer Tuesday night. Their next game is home against Buchannon Upshur on Jan. 27.