The Grays Harbor men's basketball team started off the Everett Tip Off Classic with an energetic and focused approach, last Friday, but their Saturday and Sunday outings were less than spectacular. The team struggled all weekend from behind the arc and simply could not finish around the basket when needed.
In Saturday's loss, to Everett, the Chokers looked the part taking the lead and keeping the Trojans to 12 points through the first eleven minutes of play. The gray and blue started to struggle when they dipped into their bench. In the final 9 minutes, of the first half, the Chokers committed 5 turnovers and starting forward Justin Loveless picked up his third foul. They found a 7 point hole, as they headed into the half. While it was not how they drew it up the half was not all bad. The team did some great things defensively and the ball was being shared. Logan Walker had 4 first half assists and 10 points. Justin Evans was cleaning the glass with 4 first half boards. Yet, the achilles heel of the Chokers pre season started to show once again. The men suffered through 33% free throw shooting and 38% field goal percentage.
The second half was not much better, as the GHC men went 1-7 from behind the arc and finished with a 37% field goal percentage. The Chokers were never able to regain the lead they worked for to begin the game. The bench was cleared and Coach Vargas got every player some experience on the floor. Justin Evans led the Chokers with 20 points and 7 rebounds. Dewaine Bell had 5 assists. Everett 86 – Grays Harbor 65
Sunday's earlier tip off versus Edmonds College was a scary similar experience, for the men, from Aberdeen. After leading, for 17 minutes of the first half, the Chokers entered the half down 11 points. Justin Loveless led the team with 12 points and 4 rebounds, on the half. While the struggles were not from the arc (53%) or the free throw line (100%), the Chokers committed 13 first half turnovers. It never got better in the second half. Coach Vargas again used all his players in the rotation to provide game time experience. Justin Loveless, Justin Evans and Logan Walker all had double figures on the night, but that did not help the outcome. Edmonds 89 – Grays Harbor 65
The Everett Tip-Off Classic provided the Grays Harbor College men's team some of the NWAC's best competition. Traditionally, the GHC men's program has always played one of the toughest, if not the toughest, NWAC non-conference schedules each year. "Make no mistake about it, we won't learn much avoiding the big dogs and I could careless about my coaching record. We are here to develop young men. This week, we play a couple NJCAA teams, in Arizona. Then we come home to the Wenatchee Valley machine and finish December with Spokane, Clackamas and Edmonds. These are great learning opportunities and this team will mature through the process", stated Coach Vargas