SOUTHPORT
Seymour boys basketball coach Kirk Manns said his team lacked the energy needed to stay with Southport on Saturday night.
The Owls looked good for a quarter, but the length and speed of the Cardinals became too much as they won 54-34 and handed the Owls their first loss of the young season.
Manns attributed Southport’s size as the main reason the Owls were unable to find success after leading for much of the first quarter. However, he also said his team not playing with the same energy in the second half as they did in the first played a key role.
"I think our energy level was good to start the game and it was just a matter of us being able to sustain that energy level," he said. "As we got into the second, we weren’t able to do that."
Southport’s length frustrated the Owls and held them scoreless until the 3:10 mark of the second quarter when Aiden Goen hit two free throws to end the drought.
Still, the Owls weren’t able to score their first field goal of the second stanza until there was only 1:30 to go. Drew Vehslage hit a runner to cut the Southport lead to 25-20.
Shooting woes continued in the second half as the Owls were kept off the scorer’s sheet until the 5:30 mark of the third period.
Again, Vehslage came through to end the scoreless stint.
In contrast, the Cardinals had no problems putting the ball in the cup and outscored the Owls 18-6 over the period to extend their lead to 45-28.
The trend continued in the fourth quarter.
Coupled with foul trouble, both Jayden Brown and Collin Madden hit the bench due to accumulating five fouls, the Owls continued to struggle until the final whistle.
Fouls hurt both squads with multiple players ending their nights early. Manns knew they would have to scrappy and physical with the Cardinals in order to compete, and didn’t mind the game getting slowed down because of foul trouble.
Eric McCoy led the Owls with 11 points, while Marcus Brooks and Vehslage each netted seven.
Brown chipped in five, and Goen and Montana Suits each had two.
Seymour has the rest of the week off to prepare for their Jackson County showdown with Brownstown Central.
Manns said his players will have to bring up their energy in what is sure to be a loud atmosphere.
That game will be played back at Lloyd E. Scott Gymnasium on Friday at 7:30 p.m.