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Chris Cowles was quick to acknowledge that his halftime adjustments and words of encouragement had absolutely nothing to do with the way the Unionville boys basketball squad rebounded from a poor first half, outscored visiting Sun Valley by 22 in the second half, and cruised to a 57-36 Ches-Mont American triumph.
“In the first half we were not doing our foundational stuff, and that’s why we struggled to score,” the Longhorns’ head coach explained. “In the second half, we did more of what we are supposed to do.”
It made for two diametrically opposing halves of basketball. In the opening 20 minutes, the Vanguards (2-3, 6-6 overall) forced 16 turnovers and led by a point at the half. But the rest of the way, Unionville (6-0, 12-1) surrendered a total of 13 points, which was Sun Valley’s total in the first quarter alone.
“We knew we would have to play well in (Unionville’s) gym – they are 12-1 for a reason,” said Vanguards’ head coach Steve Maloney. “They are an experienced group. We knew we had to apply as much pressure as we could, and we were on point in the first half. You don’t cause 16 turnovers and you’re not ready to play.