Dontel Rice spent a large majority of his night above the rim against Ryle.
A quick look at Tuesday night’s game between the No. 2 team in the NKSB Top 10, Holmes, and the Ryle Raiders…
Overall: This one was never a game. From the tipoff, the Bulldogs took control and ran away in a hurry. Their full-court, “run-and-jump” press created turnover after turnover against Ryle’s offense, and the Bulldogs had no trouble running the break and finishing in transition. Junior guard BJ Coston also made a few jump shots to get the Holmes’ offense jumpstarted in the half-court. By the end of the first quarter, it was 26-11 and Dontel Rice had already given me more highlights than I’ll get the rest of the season combined. Things went from bad to worse in the second quarter for the Raiders. The turnovers continued to mount, and after scoring 11 in the first quarter, they mustered just five more in the second period. At halftime, Holmes led 53-16, and Rice, who dominated the offensive glass, had already scored 18 points. The second half was more of the same, but both teams began substituting liberally and getting their youngsters a chance to play.
Star of the game: Rice was the easy choice for star of the game, as he tallied 18 first half points and finished with 26 overall. The super bouncy senior forward controlled the glass, and also threw down two highlight reel dunks.
Top Performers:
Holmes – Dontel Rice 26, BJ Coston 12, Quan Palmer 7
Ryle – Ryan Smith 7
Turning Point in the Game: The turning point in this one was the first few minutes of the game. The Bulldogs had scored 12 points in the first two minutes causing Ryle to call a timeout. Holmes’ press coupled with Ryle’s inability to take care of the ball to start the game turned this one into a blowout from the tip. It’s tough to keep your team mentally into the game and motivated when you’re staring down a double-digit deficit after two minutes.
Why Holmes Won the Game: In this case, it’s tough to look much beyond the fact that the Bulldogs just had the superior talent and played a style that gave the Raiders a lot of trouble. Coach Booher has his players really playing well on the defensive end, forcing turnovers and jumping ball-handlers. The Bulldogs are also getting deeper as the season goes on. Younger guys are starting to prove their worth off the bench, such as freshman point guard James Bolden, and it’s making the Bulldogs’ even better at their fast-paced style of play.
Why Ryle Lost the Game: The Raiders were beat so bad and demoralized from the start, that it’s tough to get a good gauge on them from that one performance. However, the first place you have to start is their turnovers. As a team, Ryle really struggled with the Bulldogs’ press, and even when they broke it, they didn’t cherish their possessions at all. They also struggled with Holmes’ length and athleticism on the glass. When the Bulldogs didn’t finish a shot, they usually had a second or third chance to convert. This loss stings and it’s embarrassing, but in the grand scheme of things it’s really not that big of a deal for Ryle. They need to be focused on getting themselves prepared for the 33rd District tournament. It’s wide open, and it only takes one win to make it to the 9th Region Tournament.
Up Next: Holmes finishes off district play with a Friday night tilt at Beechwood at 7:30 p.m. Ryle continues on their 35th district swing as well, as they take on the Covington Catholic Colonels on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. in Union.
