Dropping their second game in a row out of winter break, the Chanute Blue Comets boys fell in overtime to the Pittsburg Purple Dragons at home, 52-50, on Friday night.
“I thought we were really good defensively,” Chanute head coach Devon Crabtree said. “Holding them to 52 in a game that went to OT is really good. We just couldn’t get it going offensively. They threw us off a little bit. It was a physical game that gave us some problems. They did a good job of stopping our transition by fouling, so we couldn’t get out and run. Offensively, we’ve got to find a groove. We’re not running our stuff like we have been.”
Warrick Olson, coming off a slow game in a loss at Labette County earlier in the week, rebounded with 17 points against Pittsburg.
Daniel Stanley, who led the Blue Comets in scoring in Altamont, was held to eight points.
Chanute’s offense has been stymied in both of its losses. While the Blue Comets boast depth in its lineup, finding a rhythm has been difficult.
“It doesn’t change what we do,” Crabtree said. “The guys know their roles and we know who’s going to do the scoring. We know who we need to get it going against any given team. Our team, offensively, we’re just not moving the ball as much. It’s sticking. It’s not as crisp as it has been. It just comes down to matchups. As an entire group, we have to get better in areas.”
Chanute’s loss at Labette County came by two points on a last-second layup in regulation. Friday’s loss came in overtime. Four points of separation are responsible for a pair of losses.
“It’s frustrating,” Crabtree said. “We come into these games feeling like we should win. So it’s tough. But this group has been good about bouncing back and finding a way. We’ve been playing really hard. We’re defending really well.”
Up next
Now 5-3 overall and 1-2 in SEK League play, Chanute travels south to face Coffeyville on Tuesday.
“They’re not going to run a bunch of sets,” Crabtree said. “But they’ll play hard and play together. They’ll be tough. Our goal will be to slow them down. I think we can do that. And we’ll do a better job of finding ways to score.”
