Flyers 7 - JCWP Black 2

On Saturday, the Black Cats had their most disappointing performance to date. They struggled to protect the ball on offense, which led to numerous fast-break opportunities for the Flyers.

From the outset, it was clear that the referrees would allow an aggressive press defense on the perimeter, and that fouls would not be given cheaply. The Cats were unable to make an adjustment, and found themselves squandering much of their shot clock and forcing bad passes under pressure. The Flyers did a good job anticipating the mistakes, and scored their goals off of turnovers.

In the second quarter, during a two minute stretch, the Cats had several opportunities to capitalize on counter-attack opportunities, but failed to execute. Several outlet passes went wide of their mark, leading to turnovers or killing the advantage, and on several occasions it appeared that players were simply unable to finish their counters. Energy levels were noticeably low.

The Cats were still within striking distance as the second half began, but the inability to protect the ball and step up under pressure persisted. A referee noted after the game that the "Flyers were just more aggressive, and I was waiting for [the Cats] to assert themselves a little more, which they never did."

The Cats allowed the defense to push them away from the goal on the perimeter, which resulted in terrible spacing and balance. The umbrella was effectively broken.

On the defensive end, JCWP did a fine job, overall. The Flyers accomplished very little in their half-court offense. However, more often than not the Cats found themselves chasing the Flyers in transition, constantly trying to recover and regroup after bad offensive series.

Sometimes the refs won't give anything, but as long as the calls (or non calls) are consistent, the onus is on the players to make the adjustment. Not a single offensive foul was called against the Cats, and one can only wonder what difference it would have made if they had adopted a more aggressive approach on the offensive end.

Coach Hayes