Defensive intensity key against Hiwassee - Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics

Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics

Scoreboard

Game Notes

Todd Lee wants the defensive intensity to pick up for the Kentucky Wesleyan College men's basketball team when it hosts Hiwassee tonight in the second game of a doubleheader at the Sportscenter.

“Playing a good defensive possession is not allowing penetration, making the other team take a contested shot, whether 30 seconds in to the shot clock or 10 seconds in,” said Lee, KWC's coach. “In the first half (against Asbury) we played good defense. In the second half we started gambling, started trying to get leak outs, but we have to continue to maintain our defense.”

KWC lost focus in the second half on Saturday in large part because it had a 72-17 lead at halftime on the way to a 125-67 blowout. Lee liked how KWC played defensive possessions in its second exhibition loss at nationally ranked Pittsburgh,

“At Pitt we had a lot of possessions where they had to go deep into the shot clock, they were

shooting rushed shots with less than five seconds left on the shot clock,” Lee said.

No. 15 KWC will have to play longer defensive stretches against disciplined teams like Bellarmine, Northern Kentucky and the University of Southern Indiana.

An area where the Panthers can stay steady is passing on the offensive end. They have done a good job in the exhibition season and their first regular-season game with sharing the ball. They had 26 assists against Asbury. Brandon Johnson had seven assists, and Cardell McFarland and Kreig Oxley each had five.

“We've moved the ball a lot better than we did last year,” Lee

said. “We emphasize playing the right way, finding the open man. We've got a lot of returnees that have been in our system, and they understand we need to try and make each other better. The ball is going side to side and that needs to continue.”

The Panthers are going against another team where they could have another huge offensive night. Anthony Young put up a career-high 44 points against Aubury and also tied a career high with 14 rebounds. Young was the Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Week for his efforts.

Lee wants his team mainly to continue to improve as it gets ready for the John Worth Insurance/Hampton Inn Owensboro Classic this weekend. KWC heads out to its first GLVC road trip at Wisconsin-Parkside and Lewis on Dec. 1-3.

“It gets here pretty quick,” Lee said of how the schedule picks up steam. “That's why we have to play as many possessions the correct way as possible.”

Print Friendly Version