Lennox Hits Full Speed; Have Won 7 Straight

Lennox Hits Full Speed; Have Won 7 Straight

After a rough start at three wins and four losses, Lennox began a streak that is very rare at many levels of competitive basketball. Had it not been for a loss to one of the top teams in the state, Lennox could easily be on a ten game win streak. The Orioles prepare for the Trojans of West Central and in this article you will learn a little about how Lennox has found some success and how the Orioles will match up against the Trojans.

The streak started with a win down in Elk Point and then they followed with wins vs West Central, Platte- Geddes, Parkston, Pipestone, Beresford and Tri-Valley. Six of the seven wins have come at home which helped to improve their home record to six wins and three losses. I talked to coach Paul McVey and I asked him what the key to putting a streak of wins together and taking that streak up to seven games. He replied by saying, “we do not talk about, think about, or worry about the outcome of games.  We believe if you do things the right way and try your best to give a perfect effort possession after possession, more often than not the outcome will fall in your favor.” I then asked Coach McVey what the key to the team’s high level of success has been and his answer was, “All of our players understand our defensive principles.  We play very hard, but we have learned how to play smart and how to play even better together.  Our communication on defense has been exceptional and we are doing a great job of keeping teams off the free throw line.  We believe and trust in each other on offense.  Scoring is not as difficult when five guys move as one to find the open man and the open shot.” I finally asked coach McVey what the key to the defensive success as Lennox’s defense has been playing at a state tournament quality. His reply was, “we always talk about having two-hands high on the closeouts, ridiculous gap help, and doing everything we can to keep the ball out of the paint, but it is not enough to just talk about it, these guys do it every single day.  We love playing defense!”

Now these questions and points were very important, however the streak faces some tough obstacles beginning Friday night. Lennox plays at Hartford vs West Central tomorrow night, however that is probably not the hardest part. Tomorrow’s game is a part of the hard part, but Lennox will face five straight road games, followed by a home game vs one of the top schools in the state. Lennox also hits a tough streak as the five road games happen over a span of eight days. Between the road trip and the high amount of games in a short span, the Lennox Orioles and their winning streak could be tested to the edge.

Lennox defeated the Trojans back on January 18^th in Lennox. That game was actually the first win of the current winning streak. They worked and earned their way to a 66 to 51 win. Now the fact that Lennox has already played a very close and competitive game against West Central would be a good reason to come to Hartford and watch. There is also the fact that the Orioles will attempt to work for an eighth straight win should be another reason. If you can not make it to Hartford, well then come on over to Tea to watch Lennox play Tea Area at 4:30 on Saturday. Both games should be tremendously competitive and fun to be a part of.

Have a good day and GOOOOOO Orioles!!!!