Solid effort pleases CMS coach

Cutter Morning Star’s senior boys found Tuesday night the offensive consistency and defensive balance coach Jesse Slick has sought all season.

The Eagles played solidly on both ends of the floor in beating Poyen under the mercy rule 59-29, after downing the Indians by four points on the road last month.

CMS is 10-8 overall and 5-3 in Class 2A-5; Poyen dipped to 1-16 and 1-7, respectively.

“I was very pleased with how we played tonight,” Slick said. “There wasn’t a lot of inconsistency like we have had in the past. We have had stretches where we looked really good and stretches where we looked really bad. Tonight, I thought we were solid, playing really good consistently throughout the entire game.

“We are still messing with the rotation and trying to figure things out, but I thought we played as well as we have all season for four quarters.”

A 23-6 second quarter raised the CMS lead to 32-11 at halftime, and Jaden Puckett’s three-pointer made it 49-22 starting the fourth period.

“Defensively, we have been so much feast or famine,” Slick said. “We either turn you over on the press or we give up the easy bucket. Tonight, even when we were not able to turn them over, we did a better job of getting into our set defense. And, that’s what we have been talking about. You are not always going to be able to turn people over, and we can’t have it be all or nothing.

“We have to find a way to get a balance, because this team’s identity is one of wanting to get out and pressure. When we played Poyen on the road

earlier this season, we turned them over 25 times but only came away with a four-point win because of feast-of-famine defensive play. Tonight, we did a much better job of challenging, getting back on defense and rebounding the ball.”

Point guard Chris Babb scored a game-high 15 points for CMS. Lucas Hampton added 11 points, Hayden Gray 10 and Mason Treat nine to the Eagles’ balanced attack.

Lane Rhode scored nine points to lead Poyen.

CMS teams return to action tonight at Ouachita High (Donaldson), which the Eagles defeated at home in their first meeting.

“We know it’s going to be a challenge to come away with the win at their place,” Slick said. “I always plan on a team being eight to 10 points better on their home floor, so we definitely have our work cut out for us Thursday night.

“If we play composed and solid basketball like we did tonight, our odds of winning go way up.”