Albany, N.Y. - Friday evening, the ACPHS men's basketball team (1-1) lost their home matchup 111-71 against Elmira College (EC).
Coming into this match, the Panthers looked to make it two straight after picking up an impressive victory Wednesday night. Unfortunately, struggles early in the game proved too much to bounce back from.
First-half breakdown
Right out of the gate, ACPHS seemed to be just a step behind. The Panthers found themselves in a 37-17 hole midway through the first-half. After a turnover that was converted into a layup on the other side of the floor, Coach Robert Coleman angrily called a timeout – telling his team to "stop giving them extra opportunities."
Coach Coleman's message resonated with his team; ACPHS went on a 15-4 run for the next six minutes after the break. Sad to say, the turnovers and foul trouble picked up again in the final two minutes, putting the Panthers down 54-37 heading into the locker room.
Second-half recap
ACPHS came out scorching hot to start the half; freshman Brett Richards (Kinderhook, N.Y.) rattled home six straight points. However, sadly for the home team, the remaining 20 minutes seemed to be the same story as the first-half. On the sideline, Coleman kept calling for his players to "get up and press the ball" in hopes of gaining some easy points on the other end.
EC continued to turn their defense into offense, earning 17 turnovers and converting on 18-22 free throws. This game will serve as an opportunity for the Panthers to make the necessary adjustments before their third regular season game.
Who stood out?
Although it is hard to find the bright side in a defeat like this, Richards showed he is an absolute problem on both sides of the ball for opposing teams. Richards scored 18 points and nine rebounds while shooting 50% from the floor.
What was said after the game?
Coach Coleman shared his judgment of today's match, "We have to turn our defense into offense. We were honestly right there; the number of offensive rebounds they got was disgusting. We have to be better. We have to be more physical, and we have to be more active."
"It stinks when you come up with a game plan that actually works, and it isn't executed for the full 40 minutes. It's executed two minutes here, a couple of minutes there – honestly, they played the way we want to play: fast, shoot a lot of 3-pointers and force a lot of turnovers," Coach Coleman added.
When do they play next?
The Panthers will learn from this game and try to get back in the winning column when they host College of Mount Saint Vincent Sunday, Nov. 6.
How to follow the Panthers: For the latest information on ACPHS athletics, visit acphspanthers.com or check out the ACPHS athletics social media platforms on Instagram @ACPHSPanthers or Twitter @ACPHSAthletics.
This story was contributed by Nikolas Gheiler
