Defense causes Coyotes to falter against Rams
By Nathan Ahle, The Daily Independent
The Cerro Coso Coyotes went into Wednesday night's Foothill
Conference tilt against the Victor Valley Rams needing a win to stay
alive in the state playoff picture.
Throughout the season, offensive output and turnovers have been the key
issue keeping the Coyotes from making a statement in the conference. The
Rams won in overtime Wednesday, 91-88, but Coyotes Head Coach Larry Bird
could not find fault with the scoring output.
"We can't label these (offensive production and turnovers) as the reason
for this loss," Bird said. "If you told me before the game we'd score 88
points and lose, I wouldn't believe it."
"It all came down to defense tonight," Bird added, "and we could not
make stops late in the game.
All looked promising for the Coyotes as the game began. The locals
scored the first seven points of the game, and led 22-8 by the midway
point of the first half.
In fact, the team looked to be in a good position at the half, but a
late 7-0 run by the Rams in the final minute cut the Coyote halftime
advantage to 36-30. Bird singled out this stretch as a key to the Rams'
resurgence in the game.
February 6, 2003
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