The Apollo Eagles dropped their second-straight game to start the season Thursday but coach Mark Starnes did see some things his team can improve upon in his first year at the helm.
Apollo welcomed 1st Region foe Murray to Eagle Arena as the Tigers used a big second half to down the Eagles 56-41.
The Eagles were more methodical during the early going of the matchup. Starnes said they wanted to be patient and get good looks but even when his team trailed by double digits late in the game, they didn’t fold.
“The gameplan was to try to be ball strong, take care of the ball,” he said. “We worked on the pressure, we’ve got to get better with that. I saw some bright spots. The kids, they keep on battling. We very easily could have given up when they got a 13 or 14 points lead then we battled back to start the fourth quarter where we got it down to 40-34. They got some more separation from us but I was proud of the way that they battled back.”
Apollo 9-8 after the first but the Tigers pounced to start the second and jumped out to a 17-10 lead.
It was then the Eagles woke up and reeled off 12-straight points to take a 22-17 lead.
Starnes said the run in the first half was something to build on.
“That’s one of the bright spots,” he said. “We showed in spurts what we can do. It’s being as collectively putting that together and sustaining it for all four quarters.”
Late in the first half, Apollo disagreed with a couple of calls from the officials but Starnes could be heard shouting ‘next play’ from his bench.
He said instilling that in his players’ minds is always at the forefront.
“We’re still working on that, that is a work in progress,” he said. “You probably heard me say ‘next play, make a winning play.’ We cannot self-inflict wounds on ourself and that’s beating ourself up. If we don’t make a shot, we can’t have bad body language. If we turn the ball over, we can’t put our head down. There’s going to be a next play and it could be the winning play. Those are things we’ve got to be mentally strong and get those things fixed.”
Murray outscored Apollo 30-19 in the second half, including holding the Eagles to single digits in the fourth.
Cameron Lanz finished with 11 points to lead the Eagles as Dan St. Claire also finished in double digits with 10. Harrison Bowman and Landon Hamilton each added nine as Apollo was two points shy of having four players with at least 10 points for the second-straight game.
“We had four guys in double figures and almost a fifth one,” he said against Union. “I want a balanced attacked because it will be hard to scout.”
Apollo will now head into the weekend and prepare for Monday’s matchup with Breckinridge County.
Starnes said he had a simple message for his team after the game.
“We’re going to have a breakthrough and when they get a taste of it … You’re going to like it,” he said “You’re not going to want to give it up.”
Murray 56, Apollo 41
MHS (1-1) 8 18 14 16 — 56
AHS (0-2) 9 15 12 7 — 41
MHS: Trey Boggess 10, Qwanie McAllister 9, Grant Whitaker 20, Gabe Taylor 12, Lincoln English 5
AHS: Harrison Bowman 9, Adam Fitzgerald 2, Cameron Franz 11, Landon Hamilton 9, Dan St Claire 10
2021 basketball coverage is presented in part by Rhoads & Rhoads Attorneys at Law.
