The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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First-quarter blues hurt Milan vs. Huron
Big Reds fall in 13-1 hole in first quarter, lose by eight to Chiefs
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: January 17, 2008
Milan girls' basketball head coach Jeff Davis doesn't know why his team is struggling so badly in the first quarter. Judging by their defeat to New Boston Huron Thursday, if he and the Big Reds can solve that problem, they might find their way into the win column.
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Milan outscored the visiting Chiefs in every quarter except the first, but even that wasn't enough for the Big Reds to overcome a 13-1 deficit created by their field goal-less opening frame and they fell to 0-10 on the season with a 47-39 loss.
The Big Reds have now scored a total of eight points in the first quarters of their last three games, a problem Davis said is the team's biggest right now even though he admits he's not sure of the solution.
"I don't have an answer. We've tried two or three different things," he said.
This includes working up a sweat with a light workout before the New Boston game.
"We won the last three quarters against New Boston, but when you dig yourself that deep a hole, it's tough. It's tiring trying to get back into it."
After scoring the single point in the first quarter, Milan put 17 on the board in the second to come within 29-18 at halftime. The Big Reds tightened up on defense in the third and held New Boston to seven points, but scored only eight themselves and still trailed 36-26 entering the fourth.
Davis said what hurt most about the loss was knowing his team had fallen at home to an opponent that didn't have a talent advantage over the Big Reds, unlike several Milan has faced and will face down the road.
"It's frustrating," he said. "I thought we were the better team. We just didn't play like it. It hasn't been often this season I've thought that, but I thought it Thursday. Things just didn't go our way. I'm frustrated, the girls are frustrated, and I definitely feel we should be."
Lani Ernst led the Big Reds with 14 points and was joined in double figures by Ashley Agar with 11. Allie McAfee added six points, followed by Kasey Splitt with three, Whitney Farmer and Stephanie Roe with two points each, and Devon Cosner with one.
McAfee grabbed 12 of Milan's 33 rebounds, with Cosner and Roe each adding five. Ernst, McAfee and Splitt each recorded two steals to help the Milan defense.
Davis admitted that the Big Red defense might have slipped from previous performances after a recent emphasis in practice on the offensive end — "It's a fine line trying to stay balanced," he said — but added that after Milan shot 19 percent from the field against the Chiefs and 15 percent from inside 6 feet, the Big Reds still have more improvement to make on the offensive side of things.
"The bottom line is that we've got to make more shots," he said. "It's contagious. If we can make two or three, the basket starts to look a lot bigger and everyone gets going. That's all we need."
It will be even more important for the Big Reds this week as they prepare for a winnable home game against Flat Rock on Coming Home night 7 p.m. Friday.
"It's a game we can win if we do play well," Davis said. "After that, we've got three pretty tough games, so if we don't get this one, it might be a while."
Samantha Harmon scored 13 points as the Milan JV defeated the Chiefs 42-32.
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