Strong Second Half Pushes Bison Past Edgewood

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Elizabeth Metz

Guard Maurice Jones on a run during the 2019-20 season.

The Bison boys basketball team came out with a strong second half at home Friday night against Edgewood, finishing the game with a 73-61 win.

The team was led by guard Daryl Houston with 24 points, sophomore guard Jalen Minter with 22 points and junior guard Maurice Jones with 16 points. 

Jones reflected on his major improvements from last year.

“I stayed in the gym a lot more, lifted more, and probably got 1,000 shots up per day,” he said. 

Jones reflected on his season so far. 

“I feel like most of the time my shots have been falling, but it is a process,” he said. “We have to keep learning.” 

Jones also reflected on the struggles the Bison have had this year after several players left the team.

“We just have to stay focused and stay together,” he said.

The first half of the game was very sloppy for both teams. Beachwood had way too many turnovers for anyone’s liking. Luckily, the score at halftime was still 29-27 with Beachwood on top.  

However, the Bison looked like a different team coming out of the locker room. Beachwood had a huge third quarter, led by junior guard Maurice Jones, who nailed several 3-point shots in the final minutes of the quarter. 

 

Beachwood had a huge third quarter, led by Jones, who nailed several 3-point shots in the final minutes of the quarter.

The crowd was going crazy as Beachwood took a 10-point lead. 

The momentum continued into the 4th quarter, pushing Beachwood over Edgewood, 73-61. 

Junior forward Andrew Hill emphasized the turnover problems that have been a factor in costing the Bison several games. 

“[We need to trust] each other and trust in our abilities that everyone has on the court,” he said. “We just have to know that our players will knock down shots.” 

Hill is also working on getting more rebounds against opponents who are much taller than he is. 

“I try to get in the weight room a lot, as much as I can since I am an undersized center,” he said. “I need to be as strong as I can.” 

Hill also explained what he feels the team needs to do to improve. 

“We need to play for each other and not play for ourselves,” he said. “There should not be that much isolation ball.”

“[We need to pass] the ball around and try to get teammates open” he added. 

The Bison had another home game Saturday against North Ridgeville. The game started off lopsided, and Beachwood worked to come back, but ultimately fell short by only one point. However, the Bison played their hearts out. 

Beachwood looks to get back on track with a home game tonight against Hawken. The Hawks have had a disappointing 2-12 start to their season, and the Bison look to push their own record to 8-6.