Clear Lake Falconhoops

When you shoot 4 of 20 from two point land and only 50% of your free throws are successful, it is unlikely that you will win a 5A basketball game these days. Such was the case Tuesday, December 7, 2004,Pearl Harbor Day, when the Clear Lake Falcons felt the sting of defeat once again. Their season record is now 8-7. Historically, the Falcons usually do not play well the first game after the CCISD Tournament. Lake usually plays Deer Park in the first game after the tournament. This means Deer Park usually wins. This game was only a slight exception. At times Lake played a bit better teamwork than they usually do during their annual poor performance against Deer Park but not nearly as well as their norm. They played the Deer even in each of the first two quarters but had a poor showing in the third quarter which was hard to overcome in the fourth against a team coached by former Falcon and Clear Lake Hall of Fame member, Billy Carlisle. A team that out-shoots you, beats you back down the court, and out-rebounds you 33 to 20 in the game will usually whip you. In the first quarter Lake’s first three shots were from three point range. Deer Park was giving Lake the outside shot and Lake was taking it. It took the third shot before one fell (a trey by Armie Lewis). This was a preview of what was to come. In the first half, Lake shot 3 of 11 from two point range, 5 of 7 from three point land, and 1 of 5 of their free throws. The first half was a close ball game. Despite poor shooting in close and getting out-rebounded and out-hustled, they were even with Deer Park (tied at 22) at the half (this from a Lake team that averages 53 points per game). The Falcons need to play well in the third quarter to win games but tonight it was not to be. They were outscored 18 to 7 in the third. They shot 1 of 7 from two-point range, 1 of 2 of their 3’s, and 2 for 2 free throws in the quarter. The final minutes of the fourth quarter were an exciting ball game after three, some might consider, mundane quarters. Deer Park extended their lead to 17, the largest of the game, before Lake got it in gear in the last three minutes of the game. The Falcons knew they had to roll up their sleeves and go to work. Despite a valiant effort in the final three minutes of the quarter mounted by the Falcons and led by “Prince Valiant”, junior Justin Kurtz, the Falcons fell short. Kurtz played approximately four minutes in the first half?? In the last three minutes of the fourth quarter he put on a shooting exhibition that was fun to watch, hitting 5 of 6 three’s from downtown before he missed his final two desperation trys. Kurtz was 2 to 3 feet behind the three point arch on most of these shots. Gordon Abner also hit 2 treys and Kendrell Thompson hit one in the quarter. There were NO two point shots made in the quarter. Lake dramatically out-hustled Deer Park during this period but it was too little, too late. Deer Park scored 15 points on free throws in the game. Lake scored 6, a difference of 9 points. Lake lost by 4. Free throws really are important. Same song, second verse. The officiating was poor. One seasoned, senior official, past his prime, and two very junior officials trying hard but not ready yet for 5A basketball. One of the two junior officials is going to be a great ref someday. The other may be destined for mediocrity. The number of bad/missed calls on both sides was too high in a game where these boys are trying so hard. Sometimes, having three officials just makes them appear lazier, and does nothing to improve the quality of the officiating. All it does is give the junior officials more games sooner on a higher level to bring them along quicker at the expense of the players and the fans. I understand the shortage of officials but that does not change the facts. Poor officiating is the norm rather than the exception. A perspective note. We should not lose sight of the fact that this Clear Lake team is much better than what was displayed against Deer Park Tuesday night. I prefer to think of this game as an anomaly. This Falcon team is one of the best in the last decade. They will learn from their mistakes, work very hard to correct them, and do what the coach tells them to do. The frustration we feel is from seeing the difference between what we perceive as their potential and the level of their performance on an off-night. I predict the second half of the season will show us a much improved team that we can all be very proud of. There are still a few bumps in the road but the Falcons are going to surprise some folks before this season is over. Scoring by Quarter: Us 11-11- 7-27 Them 11-11-18-20 Scoring for the Falcons: Justin 18 (six 3's, all in the second half), Gordon 14 (6 rebounds, 4 steals), Armie 10 (4 assists, 3 steals), Kendrell 8, Mark 3, Andy 3 2’s: 4 of 20 (Oh my goodness!) 3’s: 14 of 22 Free throws: 6 of 12