Cratering to another low point in the campaign, the Labette Cardinals fell to its second JV opponent on Monday. The Cardinals lost to McPherson JV, 63-54.
Labette’s offense was stymied against McPherson’s 2-3 zone, shooting 30.8% from the field and committing 19 turnovers.
“Our offense doesn’t change much against a zone, so I don’t have any answers right now,” Labette head coach Jason Hinson said. “I’m trying to figure things out.”
Labette briefly corrected course, winning two games right before Thanksgiving, but regressed with back-to-back losses after the holiday.
“We’re still searching,” Hinson said. “I keep thinking we’re going to come out of this. That it’s not real. I just really don’t understand it.”
McPherson JV outrebounded the Cardinals, 45-33, on Monday — something that Hinson believes highlights Labette’s biggest problem.
“It’s all effort. All of our problems are all effort,” Hinson said. “You can’t teach it. All the Xs and Os, all the scheming, but the message on the board before the game was that it’s not what you’re capable of, it’s what you’re willing to do. Are you willing to compete? Are you willing to do what it takes to win? They weren’t. Again.”
Hinson saw the game so south on the first field goal of the game — a wide open 3-pointer from McPherson.
“It was the first three they made,” Hinson said. “We preach defense — closing out, contest and hands up. But their dude caught it with no pressure and our hands were down. It’s basketball. I just don’t have any answers.”
Nathaniel Carter led the Cardinals with 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting while Jordan Reams and Denys Kaminski added nine points apiece off the bench.
Labette now sits at 4-9 overall. “We’re going to get back to work and I’m going to psyche myself up into feeling good about it,” Hinson said. “Each time we think it can’t get worse, it gets there. The expectation is that we compete and play hard. What we’re seeing is not in the personality of how I coach. I don’t know. It’s gotta be something we’re not doing as coaches. I refuse to believe we’re that bad. So I’ve got to try and figure something out.”
Up next
Labette faced Bethany JV on Thursday then has back-to-back tilts against Kansas Christian JV on Dec. 7 and Dec. 12 in the Cardinals’ final games before Christmas break.
