Saints Win Second Straight Home Game
With Thanksgiving break right around the corner, the second regular season game brought the Salem Saints a cornucopia of riches. In our second straight home game, we hosted Trinity Lutheran who made the journey from Belle Plaine, Minnesota.
Our Saints exploded out of the gates and never looked back. In the early stages, our defensive aggressiveness propelled us to a big early lead. The top of our 2-3 zone defense, led by eighth graders John (22 points) and Reese (4 points), displayed great anticipation on defense by stealing numerous passes, which led to a countless number of fast break opportunities for our Saints. When Trinity was able to set up their zone defense, I thought our zone offense executed well in the half court with good ball movement. Eighth grader Griffin (10 points) did an excellent job of driving the baseline of Trinity’s zone and opening up passing lanes for easy baskets.
Our 27-6 halftime advantage on the scoreboard enabled us get everyone an ample amount of playing time in the second half. The contributions from so many different Saints led to an extremely fun-filled second half (final score: 46-8). Fifth grader Birk (2 points) did an awesome job of leading the zone offense at point guard throughout much of the second half. Eighth grader Sophia (2 points) swished a beautiful jump shot and contributed on the other end with active defensive hands. Eighth grader David (2 points) battled hard inside all night and secured numerous rebounds. How about that fourth grader Gideon (4 points)?! This kid plays with a fearless determination that makes him so much fun to watch! He hit two interior shots as he flew around the court at high speeds! It was so fun to watch as everyone contributed to our lopsided home victory!
The Saints will have one practice this week (Tuesday) before Thanksgiving break. As we approach Thanksgiving, it is my prayer that our players use this time to reflect on the countless blessings God has given us!
By: Coach Travis Koester
Our Saints exploded out of the gates and never looked back. In the early stages, our defensive aggressiveness propelled us to a big early lead. The top of our 2-3 zone defense, led by eighth graders John (22 points) and Reese (4 points), displayed great anticipation on defense by stealing numerous passes, which led to a countless number of fast break opportunities for our Saints. When Trinity was able to set up their zone defense, I thought our zone offense executed well in the half court with good ball movement. Eighth grader Griffin (10 points) did an excellent job of driving the baseline of Trinity’s zone and opening up passing lanes for easy baskets.
Our 27-6 halftime advantage on the scoreboard enabled us get everyone an ample amount of playing time in the second half. The contributions from so many different Saints led to an extremely fun-filled second half (final score: 46-8). Fifth grader Birk (2 points) did an awesome job of leading the zone offense at point guard throughout much of the second half. Eighth grader Sophia (2 points) swished a beautiful jump shot and contributed on the other end with active defensive hands. Eighth grader David (2 points) battled hard inside all night and secured numerous rebounds. How about that fourth grader Gideon (4 points)?! This kid plays with a fearless determination that makes him so much fun to watch! He hit two interior shots as he flew around the court at high speeds! It was so fun to watch as everyone contributed to our lopsided home victory!
The Saints will have one practice this week (Tuesday) before Thanksgiving break. As we approach Thanksgiving, it is my prayer that our players use this time to reflect on the countless blessings God has given us!
By: Coach Travis Koester