Liberty boys basketball team suffers first loss of season

Liberty guard Rene Delgado dribbles past a defender during Thursday's game. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)

By Doug Spoon, Editor

The Liberty Bison boys basketball team came into Thursday’s game with two tournament championships and an 8-0 record to their credit. Poor shooting and inconsistent defense was their undoing in a 64-44 home loss to Temescal Canyon this time, however.

Liberty played the visiting Titans tough in the first half, trailing just 35-29 even though Temescal Canyon made five 3-point shots. The Titans’ combination of hot outside shooting and good penetration to the basket began to take its toll in the third quarter, however, when the Bison fell behind by 10 (51-41).

The fourth quarter was a combination of the Bison’s inconsistent shooting and Temescal’s advantage in rebounding and inside scoring. That led to more inconsistent shooting as the Bison tried desperately to catch up. Ultimately, however, their only points in the quarter came on a basket and free throw by junior forward Isaiah Tiggett.

Tiggett and guard Rene Delgado tied for team scoring honors with 15 points, but they didn’t get nearly enough support on the night. Liberty did make four 3-point shots, but Temescal Canyon doubled that total to go along with their advantage inside as well.

Temescal Canyon (8-3) got 20 points from guard Thomas Siroky and 19 from guard Trevor Clark in recording the victory.

For Liberty coach Andrew Ellis, the lack of consistent shooting – something the Bison hadn’t experienced this season – must be addressed, along with a strengthening of the defense.

“We’ve been shooting the ball well, but you can’t live and die by the 3,” he said. “It’s always nice to knock down some [outside] shots, but you can’t rely on it. We talk about it all the time; some shots fall, some shots don’t. What matters is how hard you play.”

To Ellis, the inconsistency on defense can be a killer when the shots aren’t falling on offense. So can a lack of rebounding.

“Shots falling isn’t something you can always control, but we can control how we play defense,” he said. “We didn’t do a good job of that tonight.

“We’re young and we’re actually pretty long with the twins [Jalen and Isaiah Tiggett, both 6-foot-5]. We rely so much on that on the glass. They’re so used to getting away with that type of stuff. But against a team like TC, if you don’t block out on every possession, you’re going to give up those easy buckets, which we gave up multiple times.”

Delgado’s 3-pointer at the buzzer ending the third quarter cut Temescal’s lead to 10, but that was the next to last basket the Bison made. Other than Isaiah Tiggett’s basket and free throw, the fourth quarter was a flurry of Titan baskets and Bison missed shots. Tempers flared briefly in the final minute but order was quickly restored after a tussle under the basket.

“We have to talk about these things, about letting your frustrations get the best of you at the end of the game,” Ellis said. “Rebounding is going to be a huge thing for us. If we can’t block out on a tough shot they miss … we just have to capitalize on that.

“It’s going to be all about keeping our head up. It’s a long season. We talked early on about how you can’t get too high after a win, not too low after a loss. There’s a long way to go and a lot of adjustments have to be made from here on out."

Like all Liberty teams, the Bison are playing without senior leadership. Ellis prefers to take a positive outlook on that.

“The good news is, we’ll have everyone back next year,” he said. “We can get through games like this, this season, take those lumps that come our way, learn from those mistakes and progress. For this season, we don’t want to play our best basketball until February. As long as we continue to make our ascent up that hill, we’ll be fine.”

Jalen Tiggett of Liberty High fires a shot from the corner against Temescal Canyon. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)

 Jaden Ortega sets up for a 3-point shot attempt for Liberty. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)

 Rene Delgado outleaps a defender while taking an outside shot. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)

 Jaden Ortega brings the ball upcourt for the Liberty High Bison. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)