Losing a 3,000-point scorer has presented some expected challenges for the Liberty Christian basketball team. Off to a 6-3 start, Coach Butch Clark says the record may not be indicative of how poorly …
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Liberty Christian Kicks Off Hoops Season
Posted
By Derrick Forsythe, Record Sports Editor
Losing a 3,000-point scorer has presented some expected challenges for the Liberty Christian basketball team.Off to a 6-3 start, Coach Butch Clark says the record may not be indicative of how poorly the Eagles have played.“I’m not sure we’ve found our strength yet,” said Clark. “We’re still searching for our identity.”Liberty Christian lost its Metro Athletic Conference matchup against Thomas Jefferson on Monday. After falling behind by 10, the Eagles clawed to within one before eventually losing.“We dug ourselves a hole and finally managed to get it to one, but then we had critical turnovers,” said Clark. “I think we have better talent than we’ve shown.”The Eagles defeated Yeshiva 53-47 last Thursday in spite of 20 turnovers. They committed another 23 against Thomas Jefferson.“It’s typical stuff you would expect from a young team,” said Clark. “We’re a little young but that’s not an excuse. Young kids are capable of making good plays.”Liberty Christian had to hold off a late rally by Yeshiva after leading 29-18 at halftime. Locking down the opposition hasn’t proven easy for the Eagles this season.“Defensively, we’ve struggled and aren’t anywhere close to where we need to be,” said Clark. “We’ve beaten the teams we should have but left a lot to be desired.”Offensively, the Eagles have leaned on their most experienced scorer in junior Tanner Meyer.He’s scored 20-plus points on several occasions, including a 22-point showing on 4-of-10 three point shooting against Yeshiva. Meyer has been the team’s best distributor, dishing out seven assists in that victory.“Tanner started off slow with his outside shooting, but the last three or four games, he’s shot the ball a lot better,” said Clark.The bulk of the scoring has fallen on he and junior Calvin Edwards, a first-year player for Liberty Christian. Edwards is the Eagles’ lone presence in the post and has shined on occasion. Against Yeshiva, he netted 15 points and grabbed 16 boards.“Calvin can be a strength, but we’re going to have to be willing to give him the ball,” said Clark. “We have missed opportunities to get him the ball so far. We’re making poor choices on shot selection and passing.”Clark says he has seen spurts of leadership, especially from Meyer in an overtime win against Mississippi Valley where he snagged a steal and hit a pair of crucial free throws.“Tanner played very well that day and hit some clutch shots,” said Clark.Still, there is considerable room for improvement says the veteran coach.“We’re not progressing at the level I thought we would,” lamented Clark, as his team prepares for a Friday road trip to play Eagle Ridge.
Basketball seasons will be underway for area teams by next week.
