The half time break proved to be the turning point for both the Peacock Toilers and the Central Cyclones.
After a fast-paced first half, it appeared as though the complete opposite Cyclones team came to play in the third quarter. The Cyclones could only muster three points and two of those points came within the last minute of play.
“It was not our game plan at half. We definitely came out a little more relaxed and almost like a whole different team in that third quarter,” said Central’s coach Jocelyn Wigmore. “It is a bad habit and it is something we have talked about.”
The Toilers played tight defence and continue their unbeaten season with a 71-38 victory in senior girls basketball action on Thursday evening.
“Half time talk was setting defensive goals for ourselves. We aren’t going to let ourselves be let down defensively and the girls set a solid goal for themselves in the second half and it was all about defence and I think that definitely showed in the third quarter,” said Toiler’s head coach Renee Verge. “Tight half court defence is all we wanted to focus on. That was going to be our game plan and we weren’t as solid as we wanted to be in the first half and the girls owned that at half time. We set a goal and went after them defensively and it showed.”
Central has tried many different techniques to the half time break, but nothing has seemed to work to keep the momentum going or the ability to change the momentum. Instead, coming up flat seems to be the unfortunate normal for the Cyclones.
“We have tried different things at half time, like not talking as much and shooting,” stated Wigmore. “We are beating ourselves and we get into our own heads. It is something we have to try and fix.”
For more on this story, read an upcoming edition of the Times-Herald.
