Last week’s games leave team at 6-10 for the season, Oglethorpe is next opponent

Ward Sutlive, Campus Carrier sports editor

It began at 8 p.m. The Berry Basketball team was going up against Centre College in the Cage Center. Berry eked out a narrow win, scoring 63 points to Centre’s 62.  The game was a nailbiter, with Centre College almost winning at the end.

According to Chase Lamey, a freshman basketball player, the only thing that prevented a last-minute victory for Centre was Berry’s defensive playing. Lamey also said the team is in good spirits after their victory. 

“We’re pretty excited about our win,” Lamey said. “But we know we can’t get too up or too down about anything because we [have] a game [Sunday] against the Sewanee team.” 

The players spent the previous week preparing for the two upcoming games. The first was against Centre, and the second was against Sewanee.  According to Matthew Richter, the team’s head coach, this was the team’s first home game in a while, which gave them a homefield advantage. Everyone was aware that these two games would be challenging.  Nevertheless, Richter welcomed it. 

“Both [teams] have had some really good stretches lately,” Richter said. “So, I think it’s exciting to not only be home, but to play against two really good opponents when we know we’re going to have to be at our best makes for a fun week.” 

The team knew that they would have to be ready for several difficulties when facing Centre. One of their biggest hurdles would be Centre’s strong offensive playing skills. According to several players, the Centre team is tough to beat. The players’ height and speed are a contributing factors to their strength. Richter recognized Centre’s coordination as another point in their favor. He said that Centre is very good at making shots, usually scoring almost ten three-pointers per game. 

This year has seen several positive changes in the team’s dynamics, in part due to the several new freshmen that have joined. The players are all encouraging toward one another and work in tandem while playing. They share the ball when necessary, relying on each other’s different strengths while also compensating for weaknesses. 

“A lot of people bring different stuff to the table, and if you combine all of that, it’s hard to stop,” Cameron Pope, a junior player for the team, said.  The team was eager to play against Centre after their 66-87 loss to Trinity University on Jan. 11 in Texas. Each of the players has a different explanation for why the team lost. According to freshman player Cameron Hewling, two of the main factors were that the team had a weaker defense and were uncoordinated. Despite that, Hewling saw that loss as an opportunity to grow and improve.  

“It was a harder team and we lost, but I still feel like we got better,” Hewling said. 

The team focused a lot of their time on improving their defensive strategies after the Trinity game. They watched recordings of previous games to improve certain formations and also worked to improve their endurance. Watching recordings of the Trinity game also allowed the players to learn how to spot opportunities to defend themselves, as well as come up with strong offensive strategies  when necessary. 

The workshopping of offensive and defensive strategies were accomplished by holding five on five games during practices. These “mini matches” emphasize both teamwork and endurance, and they increase aggressive playing through quick transitions.  According to sophomore player Nile King, the team’s aggressive playing style in particular will be an important asset for many of the  upcoming games. 

“I feel like if we bring that intensity and will to win, it will be a great game for us,” King said.

Many players are looking forward to the second half of the season. They each have several strengths that they are proud of and goals that they want to accomplish. King wants to improve his endurance so that he is able to fulfill the increased role he’s felt he’s had in the team recently. To achieve that, he is training to become more of a factor both offensively and defensively. 

“I feel like I’ve taken a much bigger role for the team this year, [so] I have to stay to the basics and be that guy,” King said. 

Pope wants to improve his leadership skills, mainly because he feels like he has been playing more than he has previously. As a result, he wants to be a mentor to the newer members of the basketball team. Pope takes great pride in his team, finding one of their most notable strengths to be their ability to stay strong during difficult games. 

“I feel like we faced a lot of adversity this year in terms of losing games,” Pope said. “But I think we’ve done a great job using that adversity to come closer together and as a learning experience to get better.” 

While the Vikings won against Centre College on Friday, they lost to Sewanee on Sunday. The final score was 72-82. Despite the loss, the team remains optimistic about the future games they will play. Their next game will be against Oglethorpe University on Friday in the Cage.  “We always want to be the toughest team,” Richter said. “Some nights that’s easier to accomplish than others, but we want to be the team that plays harder, plays smarter, and plays more together out of the two teams that are on the floor.”