Clover boys let lead slip away in fourth

SPEEDWAY -- All year long, Cloverdale boys' basketball coach Pat Rady has been fighting one major problem with his team -- the need to play a complete game.

The Clovers fought that again Friday night, carrying a lead over Speedway through most of the game. However, they surrendered the lead to the Sparkplugs early in the fourth quarter and ultimately lost 58-51.

Guard Brandon Moon sends a pass across the lan in the first half of Friday's 58-51 loss to Speedway.

"We had some bright spots, but we just have to learn that we have to play 32 minutes," Rady said. "We had a lull there when we came out in the third quarter. We just didn't get things going there. You can't play that way against anybody in high school. It's a 32-minute ball game. We've fought that all year. The closest we've come is Cascade. We've done it once, but we haven't done it before or since."

The turning point came at the outset of the second half, when the Clovers (7-11, 3-3 WCC) turned the ball over on their first four possessions. Having trailed by as much as 11 in the first half, the Sparkplugs (4-12, 4-2 WCC) opened with a full-court press in the second and made the Clovers pay.

"I think their quickness and their pressure may have gotten to us and we made some silly mistakes," Rady said. "You can't have turnovers. Turnovers are costly, and the ones we made ended up in a basket or a breakaway where maybe we fouled. When you don't get a chance to shoot at the basket, that takes a possession away from you and gives them one where they're scoring.

"We just made too many mistakes there down the pike that cost us," Rady said.

In spite of the early turnovers, the Clovers battled back and maintained their lead throughout the quarter. However, it was just three points, at 40-37, at the end of three.

An 11-0 run gave the Sparkplugs the lead early in the fourth at 45-50. Although the score was again tied at 45, that was as close as the Clovers would get. Speedway made its free throws down the stretch and maintained its lead.

With the conference season over, Rady is now thinking mainly about preparing for sectional in the coming weeks.

"Now we have three weeks to get ready for this tournament. This tournament is going to be very competitive," the coach said.

Cloverdale hosts Edgewood at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12.

At Speedway

Cloverdale (7-11, 3-3 WCC) -- Blair 6-13 6-11 18, Young 5-5 0-1 12, Salter 3-5 0-0 7, R. Dean 1-2 3-4 5, Moon 2-7 0-3 5, Randall 1-3, 2-2 4, K. Dean 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 17-33 FG, 11-21 FT, 51 points.

Speedway (4-12, 4-2 WCC) -- Avance 5-10 3-7 13, Lewis 4-7 1-2 12, Jackson 4-5 0-0 10, Linville 2-7 4-7 9, Hubbard 2-9 2-3 7, Prior 2-7 0-0 4, Daghe 1-3 0-0 3, Duman 0-1 0-0 0, Eggert 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 20-49 FG, 10-19 FT, 58 points.

Next game -- Cloverdale hosts Edgewood at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12.