Park boys basketball hosted Wayzata at home in their latest matchup on Dec. 17. Wayzata took an early lead and Park was never able to make a comeback. Park lost 101-69, and their record is now 4-1.
Assistant coach Chris Nordstrom said Park’s defense needed to improve and it was harder to recover from an early deficit.
“We kind of put ourselves in a hole. Defensively, we weren’t to the level that we hoped we would be,” Nordstrom said. “It was an uphill battle the whole game.”
Senior Assad Pettaway said Park needs to stay strong if they want to win more games. He said the team didn’t practice those values during the game.
“We have to play together, we can’t argue or collapse when things get hard,” Pettaway said. “We failed to do that today and we lost.”
Sophomore Becker Hart said the team’s biggest strength is their flexibility—regardless of who they play.
“We can adjust to different situations and adapt to any team we play,” Hart said. “We have to get back to doing that and being stronger.”
Nordstrom said the team must accept the loss even though it hurts. He said they will collectively work to come back from the games results.
“We have to sulk in it a bit, let it sting but then come back ready to practice and get locked in for our next game,” Nordstrom said. “These guys have a different side to them and will bounce back.”
Pettaway said the team wasn’t as prepared as they should‘ve been. He said the team needed to execute the game plan more effectively.
“We need to stay calm and keep peace with each other. Our focus was getting up on the shooter’s high hand and not switching off screens,” Pettaway said. “In the end, we just weren’t prepared for them.”
Hart said Park has more potential than what they showed. He said the team will make improvements during practice by working hard and watch video of what they need to fix.
“That wasn’t one of our better games this year—we need a bit more effort and intensity. We also need to work together more,” Hart said. “We’re going to practice harder and watch film to get better.”
Park boys basketball’s next game is against Hopkins at 7:00 p.m. Dec. 20 at home.
