Urbana wore down an overmatched Shawnee squad and took the victory, 50-27, in CBC boys crossover basketball at UHS on Tuesday.
The Braves (5-6) seemed game early, but faded as time wore on in the first half and then fell apart entirely as the Hillclimbers buckled down defensively.
“Right at the start of the first quarter and right at the start of the third quarter, we had a little bit of a lull, but the rest of the game was great,” UHS Coach Jeremy Dixon said. “The defensive intensity was awesome and we were locked in one through nine. Marion Krebehenne was great getting his hands on everything and we did a good job taking care of the ball.”
The Hillclimbers led, 30-16, at halftime.
The cushion held throughout the second half, despite Urbana (7-4) turning the ball over several times in a row to begin the game after the break.
“I don’t know how many turnovers we had, but it was a much better effort overall tonight,” Dixon said.
Late in the game, Urbana’s offense finally came together, as ball movement and cuts were the name of the game. The home squad found space to drive or got fouled on multiple possessions, leading to the final margin.
Dixon feels his team is trending in the right direction and he likes the spirit of the squad.
“We didn’t practice Saturday. I think everyone needed a day or two off. We had a good one (Monday),” Dixon said. “It’s in there. We’ve just got to be more consistent.”
Urbana plays at North Union on Friday.
