The Road to State: Breck team confuses SPA offense with zone defense, Spartans lose 5 point lead in second half

Junior+Dalante+Peyton+makes+a+run+for+the+basket+against+Breck.+%5BThe+zone+defense%5D+really+confused+us+and+we+lost+our+composure+a+little+and+they+created+turnovers%2C+senior+Sam+Suzuki+said.

Breandan Gibbons

Junior Dalante Peyton makes a run for the basket against Breck. “[The zone defense] really confused us and we lost our composure a little and they created turnovers,” senior Sam Suzuki said.

Breandan Gibbons, Staff Writer

The Boys Varsity Basketball team lost on Friday, 71-66, to the Breck Mustangs in the Spartans’ second game in the new IMAC conference. The lost brought the Spartans’ record down to 5-6 (1-1 IMAC), and put the Mustang’s in the driver’s seat to win the conference with an overall record of 11-3 (3-0 IMAC). This is also the fourth game for the Spartans’ where the score has been within five points, they have lost them all.

The game started off well for SPA with junior Dalante Peyton picking up right where he left off against Providence on Tuesday, hit three of his first four shots from behind the three point arc. Junior Kent Hanson also drained an early three, and just about five minutes in the Spartans’ built up a 17-4. Then there was a timeout that changed the game. The Mustangs switched from a man to man defense to stretch zone that was very aggressive.

After the game senior Sam Suzuki said, “[The zone defense] really confused us and we lost our composure a little and they created turnovers.” The first half ended with the Spartans maintaining 35-30 lead. In the second half the Mustangs were missing two key players, Senior forward Justin Bergerson who had an apparent head injury after going to the floor hard when gunning for a rebound, and junior guard  Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman who had cramps. While they were out, the Mustangs went on an improbable run to take eight points. This run also occurred right after junior Kent Hanson got a steal, and flushed the ball down with about ten minutes left. The Mustangs’ run was spurred by a good play from Breck senior Will Culliton, who, for most of the game until that point, played stagnant on offense and was not creating his own shots, but when Breck needed him to, Culliton stepped up. He went seven of nine from behind the arc and finished the game with 37 points. In the last five minutes the Breck lead yo-yoed from four to nine points and the intensity was high. With about two minutes left, Culliton had the opportunity to put the game to bed, getting four opportunities from the free-throw line after two ticky-tack technicals were called. Culliton, a dead-eye shooter, was unable to capitalize, missing two of the four shots. Then, with 40 seconds left Dalante Peyton appeared to have picked the ball off, down by four, and had an uncontested shot from three, but there was a late whistle for a foul that occurred before the pass was thrown. The Spartans threw up a few prayer threes, but were unable to bring the game closer than to within four and ended up losing by five.

Junior Kent Hanson lead the team with 23 points, and junior Dalante Peyton was able to put 21 up on the board. Senior Abdulsalan Osman played a gritty game, but still did not look 100% after being sick a few days ago. This also marked the return of junior Angel Smaller who had missed the last few games with a sprained ankle.

The Spartans play against St. Paul Central in a tough non-conference test against the reigning section 4AAA champions, on Jan. 14 at 7:00 PM at Central.