MORGANTOWN — “Patience” Trinity Christian boys’ basketball coach Rick Hill continued yelling from the sidelines during Friday’s home contest against Hampshire.
That word didn’t just mean something for this contest, it embodies the Warriors’ 2021-22 season.
Trinity (2-9) starts two freshmen, a sophomore, a junior and a senior, and for the first time all season, had its complete roster available in a 41-38 loss to visiting Hampshire.
“The main reason I yell patience is we are averaging close to 20 turnovers a game,” Hill said. “In the first quarter, when we were patient with the ball, we made good decisions and limited turnovers.”
That first quarter saw the Warriors build a 11-4 lead as Levi Teets knocked down a 3-pointer. But the Trojans (8-4) used a near halfcourt shot from Ashton Haslacker to cut the lead to 11-7 at the end of one and built on that momentum for a 11-0 run into the second quarter.
“Our first halves have been slow all year,” Hampshire head coach Daniel Alkire said. “The second half has been when we come on. I don’t know if its young kids, jitters or just inexperience.”
Hampshire has 10 of its 12 players seeing their first-ever varsity action this season and Alkire said that inexperience has been a problem this season.
Trinity was also dealing with inexperience as freshman Chayce Adams was in his second game back all season after suffering an injury during football. Senior James Bourne is in his fourth game back after suffering a knee injury last year and freshman Lucas Kniska is back after spending 14 days in COVID protocol.
“We are really trying to find each other,” Hill said. “This is the first game we have had our whole team together. We are trying to find each other and find out what works best, what lineups we need to work with.”
The Warriors did seem to find something late in the contest as they shook off a cold-shooting second and third quarter that saw them connect on just four field goals combined. In the fourth quarter, they hit five field goals including a pair of 3-pointers from Adams.
Hampshire entered the fourth with a 9-point lead, 37-38, and held that lead until the 4:35 mark in the final frame. The Trojans managed just four free throws the rest of the way as a stingy TCS defense stepped up along with some timely shooting.
Adams hit a 3-pointer at the 2:39 mark to cut the lead to 39-35 and then with 59 seconds left, Adams hit another from long distance to cut the lead to 39-38.
Trinity even had the ball with 41 seconds remaining in the contest when Bourne tipped a pass and Peyton Dixon was able to grab the loose ball. A 3-point shot just missed on this possession and the Trojans were able to tie up the ensuing rebound and earn possession on the jump-ball arrow.
Alex Hott hit a pair of free throws on Hampshire’s last possession for the final score of the contest and then Trinity was unable to get a good shot off before the buzzer.
“We aren’t an up-and-down the court type of team,” Hill said. “We are let’s get set, make the defense work type of team. We did much better being patient with the ball tonight. Much better defensively being patient and communicating.”
Adams led the Warriors with 18 points while Jaylon Hill had nine points with 10 rebounds. Trinity did struggle form the foul line as they hit just 6-of-17 in the contest. Haslacker led the Warriors with 13 points.
“That hurts. We work on free throws all the time,” Hill said. “That’s part of the game. Patience, that’s what it all comes back to.”
Trinity returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts Parkersburg Catholic at 7 p.m.
By ERIC HERTER
Hampshire (8-4)
Gray 0 2-3 2, Shanholtz 3 0-0 6, Fields 3 1-2 9, Nichols 0 1-2 1, Hill 0 1-2 1, A. Hott 1 2-2 4, Haslacker 5 1-2 13, M. Hott 2 0-0 5. Totals 14 8-13 41.
Trinity (2-9)
Adams 5 4-5 18, Hancox 1 0-0 2, Teets 1 0-4 3, Hill 4 0-2 9, Bourne 1 0-0 2, Dobbs 1 2-6 4. Totals 13 6-17 38.
Hampshire 7 11 13 10 – 41
Trinity 11 5 8 14 – 38
3-pointers – Hampshire: 5 M. Hott, Haslacker 2, Fields 2. Trinity: 6 Hill, Teets, Adams 4.
