LOUISVILLE — Columbus North did not have a good shooting night against Louisville Mercy Academy in the 2017 Raatz Fence/O’Shea’s Basketball Classic.
The Bull Dogs struggled to find the basket, shooting just 26 percent in the first half and 33 percent for the game in a 61-47. North coach Pat McKee said things seem to go downhill when his team struggles shooting the ball.
“We tend to press in other areas,” McKee said. “One bad thing leads to another bad thing and a third bad thing, and we end up being behind, having some issues.”
Mercy Academy started the game on an 11-2 run and ended the first quarter with an eight-point lead. Imani Guy scored all six of the Bull Dogs’ first quarter points, and Nadia Lomax found her rhythm in the second period.
North (15-6) had a much better scoring performance in the second being led by Lomax’s eight second-quarter points. The Bull Dogs cut the lead to two points with 1:58 left in the first half, but the Jaguars pushed it back to eight before halftime.
“(Lomax) came off the bench and did really well, especially in the second quarter and a chunk of the third,” McKee said. “She attacked the basket with the ball … I think Imani played really well in stretches.”
Guy scored a game-high 13 points, and Lomax added 10. Ashlyn Huffman and Maliah Howard-Bass shot a combined 5 for 21. The Bull Dogs still had a chance in the final quarter being down eight points with just under six minutes left.
“We had some little bursts, but we could never get over the hump.” McKee said. “To (Mercy Academy’s) credit, they made plays, and they’re a really good team. We have to play better.”
