The Grace Christian Basketball Teams are looking for big things to happen in the 2024 half of the season. The Eagles and Lady Eagles didn’t play over the break, however they put in a lot of work in practice and are ready to see it translate to the court as the season kicks back off tonight, as both teams travel to Newton Academy.
The Lady Eagles head into the new year undefeated in conference play.
“I feel like we did very well the first half of our season and we have to continue on that path going forward,” Lady Eagles Head Coach Talor Troyer said, “We have to continue to improve each game.” Blocking out and fouling are two areas in which Troyer thinks her team needs to improve on. “We need to become a force blocking out,” she said, “I would say blocking out is one of our weaknesses.” Troyer addressed that she has had a starter foul out in almost every game this season.
“We also need to find a way to play aggressive basketball without getting into foul trouble,” she said, “I love that my girls play aggressive basketball but we have to find a balance.” Troyer said she is very proud of her team for how they finished the first half of the season. Her and the Lady Wildcats are eager to see what they can do, in what Troyer said is the “hardest part of the season.” The Eagles are in a different situation as they have come up short in conference play. Head Coach Charles Heard and his team are looking to change that narrative by fixing the small things heading into the second half of the season.
“It’s a work in progress, but I’ve seen very good signs of growth,” Heard said, “We’ll have success if we buckle down.” The teams focus is one of the primary things Heard said his team needs to focus on. In the second half of the season, distractions have the tendency to be lethal to teams. Heard also said he would like to see his team improve on their shooting as well, as inconsistent shooting has cost them a few games. Heard also added that defense and play execution are things his team needs improvement on.
“We have the heart, the grit, and the grind,” Heard said, “I think we’re gonna hit our stride.” Heard has confidence, knowing his team can accomplish big things if they can make those improvements. “I feel like we can win a championship if we improve those three things,” he said.
