Gators Fall to Strong-Shooting Storm

Gators fall to strong-shooting Storm

By: Ryan Bergeron

After ending a season-high six-game losing streak, the Gators returned home for a match up versus the 19-3 Stephen-Argyle Storm, entering the Swamp on an 11-game winning streak. The Gators would stay close early in the first half, trailing 7-5 after the Gators’ Austin Aune scored two at the 12:45 mark. But, a 32-7 Storm run to end the half would send the Gators into halftime down 39-12, before eventually falling by a 66-29 final.

“They’re big and they can shoot the ball really well,” Gator Coach Kent Christian said about the Storm. “I thought first four minutes again, we played well, we came ready to play. It’s just a team (the Storm) you can’t make a mistake against. They’re really well coached.”

Speaking of mistakes, the Gators committed 22 turnovers in the game.

The Gators would take the first lead of the game on a Jake Taggart three-point shot to open the scoring just over one minute into the game, but would never lead again after the Storm went on a 7-3 run, including a Hunter Yutrzenka three-pointer, a Zac Fincher layup and a Yutrzenka layup, giving the Storm a 7-3 lead with 14:55 remaining in the half.

To open the second half, the Gators allowed the Storm to go on 12-0 run for a 51-12 lead, before YannikKroeller Fernandez scored the first Gator second half points, on a two and one opportunity with 12:21 left in the game.

As a team, the Gators again experienced struggles shooting the ball, making four shots in the first half and five in the second half. The home team finished 19 percent from the floor to score the season-low 29 points.

The Gators did finish the game with five made three-point shots, four in the second half, accounting for 12 of the team’s 17 second half points. In that half, Connor Graff would sink two three-pointers, Taggart his second of the game, and Kasen Swenson the last one.

No Gator player hit double figures, but Taggart led the team with eight points.

Offensively, the Storm, shot 46 percent from the floor and 56 percent (9 of 16) from three-point range. Yutrzenka led the Storm with 17 points, including a three of four performance from beyond the arc. Chris McGlynn scored 13 points, including a three of six night from beyond the arc, for the Storm.

Regardless of the season-low point total, Coach Christian complimented his team’s effort again.

“I thought our effort was outstanding. The guys didn’t quit. You know what, they were better than us tonight and we’re going to have to find some ways to try to keep these games a little bit closer, especially coming into tournaments. And again we’re going to have to shoot the ball better.”