Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Eureka head coach Michael Harvey talks to seniors Makaila Napoleon, left, and Paige Lyons during a recent game.
By Ray Hamill — The Eureka Loggers open the NorCal tournament at home to Aragon High out of San Mateo on Tuesday night, and patience will be one of the keys for the home team.
Head coach Michael Harvey and his players broke down game film on the Dons before practice on Monday evening, and the Loggers are well aware there are no easy opponents at this stage.
“We know they have a lot of speed, and they play tenacious defense,” Harvey said. “And we need to be prepared for what they bring, which is different to what we’ve seen up here.”
To counter that, Harvey says his players will need to play smart basketball and be patient.
“We have to make good decisions with the ball, and be patient on offense, and attack their man defense,” he said. “We have to take advantage of our strengths.”
Eureka’s Dorshaela Wesson
Fresh and eager
The Loggers have enjoyed a six-day break in action since dropping their NCS semifinal match against Salesian, which received the No. 4 seed in the Open Division.
And that means they should be fresh and eager to go on Tuesday night.
They’re also feeling quietly confident.
“I think we’re going to do well,” Harvey said.
Eureka’s Kellina Pratton
All-important home game
After an impressive regular season and a solid NCS run in a tough Division-III bracket, the Loggers are seeded No. 8 for the NorCals, remaining in Division III.
And that gives them an all-important home game.
“We got an eight seed, we got a home game, and I’m happy with that,” the head coach said. “It’s good for the players. It’s good for the fans.”
CCS champs
Aragon is seeded ninth and comes into the game with a record of 17-11, having won last week’s Central Coast Section Division-II championship.
The Dons have won 11 of their last 12 games.
For comparison, they are ranked No. 177 in the state by MaxPreps, while the Loggers are No. 110.
Eureka is 21-10 on the season.
Categories: Basketball, Eureka
Well if coaches would actually teach man defense or pack line defense instead of just playing Zone all the time in a 2-3, maybe basketball will get even much better on the North Coast… basketball is a sport like other sports and you have to be able to just at any point in the season and that means you can’t just have a Milky based offense and a Milky based defense… it’s why smart athletes are the successful athletes and physical athletes are pulling up the Caboose…
… hope Eureka girls are practicing over the top and Skip passes…
… and hope they’re not too patient
… and hope they Infuse some back door cutting
… and give and go or go and recieve…
… and play 5 out offense or 4 out offense because if they’re playing man defense that means on the ball side they are playing man and weakside zone…
… and if it’s a tight man-to-man on the ball side it gives the person with the ball and opportunity to drive the hoop and a kick it to the back side when the defense on the backside collapses…