[SlideDeck2 id=23199]
By Malika Andrews |
The Pilots overcame a one-point deficit at halftime to beat Concordia-Irvine 90-81 in their first exhibition game on Nov. 8.
First game nerves, getting into foul trouble early and 13 turnovers made for a shaky first half. The Pilots improved their turnover rate, committing only four turnovers in the second half and increasing their field goal percentage from 71.4 percent in the first half to 88.5 percent in the second half.
Men’s basketball’s Head Coach Eric Reveno said improvement in the second half was a result of team trust. He thinks Wintering did a great job taking control, getting the ball rolling and ultimately running the show.
Sophomore point guard Alec Wintering scored 21 points and set the pace for the Pilots. 17 of Wintering’s 21 points were made from the free throw line.
“Coach Rev had talked to me about being the leader of the guys. They play off of me, me being the head,” Wintering said. “I do dictate how fast we run, or when we need to slow it down.”
Looking forward, the Pilots aim to improve on rebounding, taking better care of the basketball and improving defensively to avoid foul trouble.
“I think we were trying to execute well offensively,” Reveno said. “Defensively, we were trying to do what we want. We need to improve through the opportunity of playing somebody else. We are used to playing and guarding each other. We need to adjust.”
The Pilots committed 18 personal fouls and Concordia-Irvine committed 27, resulting in a very physical game. Reveno attributes this to the Pilots’ readiness to attack the rim.
Reveno likes to see the quicker style of play where the Pilots execute late. He encourages his “big men” to run for defensive transitions to go smoothly. He believes that while the team did a good job of that, there is still room for improvement.
“I think we are improving at a good pace and the team is really coming together,” Reveno said. “I think we have a ways to go. Our conference is very tough but as an exhibition game goes it is an opportunity for us to become better.”
The Pilots open their regular season at 7 p.m. on Nov. 14 against Concordia in the Chiles Center.
Malika Andrews is a sports reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at andrewsm17@up.edu or on Twitter @malika_andrews.
