Warriors' tailspin continues with OT loss to Tupelo
Published on June 13, 2009 under World Basketball Association (WBA)
Cartersville Warriors News Release
After a 3-0 start to the World Basketball Association season, the Cartersville Warriors seemed to be a team with all of the answers.
However, following their third straight loss, a 110-102 overtime setback at the hands of the Tupelo Rock-N-Rollers Saturday night at the J.H. Morgan Gymnasium, the Warriors have to ask themselves a lot of questions.
"I know there's a cloud over our team right now," said Cartersville head coach Cory Baldwin. "But when you lose close games, it's going to make you stronger and I just have to keep believing that. We just have to come back (Sunday) and get back on the winning track.
Having lost its two WBA games in this latest three-game swing, Cartersville closes out its weekend with a Sunday afternoon home game against the defending Metro-A League champions of the Southeast Exposure Basketball League, the Atlanta SpeedBoys. Tipoff for that non-conference game is slated for 3:30 p.m.
Cartersville (3-3) and Tupelo (4-2) went back and forth for the first three-plus quarters before the Warriors seemingly took control with an early fourth-quarter burst. Cartersville led by as many as eight points, at 80-72 on a 3-pointer by Marcus Henderson, before Tupelo started to chip away at the Warriors' lead.
The Rock-N-Rollers still trailed 92-89 when Cartersville's Andrew Jones stepped to the free-throw line with 15.5 seconds to go in regulation. However, Jones missed both free throws and Tupelo grabbed the rebound. The Rock-N-Rollers' Courtney Bradley sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 4.4 seconds to tie the game at 92 and force overtime.
Early in the extra period, Cartersville took a 95-94 lead on a 3-pointer by newcomer Shannon Chambers, but Tupelo went on an 11-2 run to go up 105-97 and the Warriors never got closer than four points after that.
"Losing this game was very disappointing," said Chambers, a former College of Charleston standout who joined the Warriors Friday. "We put it all on the floor for the first 18 minutes of the second half, but we made some critical mistakes at the wrong time and we lost the game because of it. We just have to go back and fix it."
Baldwin said his team's decision making at the end of regulation and in overtime left something to be desired. Also, he wasn't pleased with his team's rebounding or its 6-of-15 (40 percent) performance from the free-throw line.
"One of the first things I look back on with this game is our possessions late in the game and I'm not sure our basketball IQ was at the level where we need it to be," said Baldwin. "I'm not sure of that's a lack of communication on my part or a lack of playing time with each other on the players' parts. Either way, we have to work on it.
"Our lack of rebounding killed us. Tupelo probably had five or six baskets in the paint that came off of putbacks instead of possessions. When it comes to the missed free throws, they're a selfish part of the game. Anytime you're not hitting them, you're the only person who can correct it."
Bradley led Tupelo and all scorers with 37 points and eight rebounds. Darryl Wilson added 21 and eight rebounds, Chris Sykes pitched in 13 and five rebounds and O'Brian Lowe netted 12 for the Rock-N-Rollers in the win.
Jones was Cartersville's leading scorer with 33 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Chambers poured in 22 and grabbed 10 rebounds, Jermaine Spivey had 20, six assists and four rebounds and Justin Billingslea finished with 12 and five rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
NOTES: The Warriors were short-handed again in Saturday's game, as regulars Darnell Cox, Kenny Saunders, David Graham and Jeremy Law all missed the game for various reasons. As a result, Cartersville dressed just eight players and finished the game with six after Billingslea and Bobby Brown fouled out.
World Basketball Association Stories from June 13, 2009
- Warriors' tailspin continues with OT loss to Tupelo - Cartersville Warriors
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