Triad dispatches Highland in MVC contest at Highland Optimist Scott Credit Union Shootout
It took Luke Cox and the Triad Knights about a quarter to figure out how to attack rival Highland’s zone defense.
After a slow start that yielded just an 18-13 after the first quarter, Cox and his Knights teammates got busy and got to scoring.
Cox exploded for a game-high 31 points and the Knights breezed to a 56-37 Mississippi Valley Conference win Saturday at the Scott Credit Union Highland Optimist Shootout at Highland High School.
The trip to the Highland Shootout was the first in a long time for Triad and it was an enjoyable experience all-around for the Knights.
“We’d just like to thank Highland and the Optimist Club for having us and setting this up,” first-year Triad coach Jeff Guidry said. “It’s a great experience for these kids to come out to the shootout and I believe they had a lot of fun.”
Triad (12-4 ovearll, 4-0 in the MVC) started to take control in the second quarter, thanks to an 8-2 run keyed by a pair of Kile Crook 3-pointers, Two Nate Winslow free-throws capped the run to put the Knights ahead 26-15 with 5:32 left before halftime.
Cox scored a bucket in the final minute to push the lead to 33-19 at the half.
In the second half, Cox continued to score, as he knocked down threes and drove the lane for buckets as he finished with a double-double of 31 points and 11 rebounds. Cox’s double-double earned him game MVP honors.
“I was shooting the three-ball pretty good and then they were kind of cutting that off, so coach put me in the middle of the zone inside and that helped to get some (shots),” Cox said. “A lot of times if I’m scoring they (other teams) will overplay on me and then they kind of don’t know who to guard now.”
Cox got his final points on two free-throws with 1:45 left to push the lead to 55-35.
The Knights have won four of their last six and three-straight and appear to be settling in nicely for Guidry and his staff.
“This is our first year here and the kids just Day One have really bought into the system and the mindset we’re trying to establish and it ultimately starts with our effort and our energy,” Guidry said.
The game was not what HHS hoped for after a decent first half as they dropped to 2-13 (1-2). Highland has lost nine-straight games since a 49-43 win at Civic Memorial on Dec. 10.
“I think the biggest thing is we struggle in the second half in matching other teams’ intensity,” Highland coach Deryl Cunningham said. “I talked to the guys about that, about playing for two halves and 32 minutes. I think some of the kids have lost so much early in their careers, that they’re just not used to pushing through (the second half) and I think that’s what we’re trying to change and help them get through.”
Freshman Altadonna big bright spot for HHS
One factor that will help in that change has been the strong play from freshman guard Cade Altadonna.
Altadonna had another big night on the floor with a team-high 22 points as he hit three of five from beyond the arc and pulled down eight rebounds.
“The biggest thing about Cade is his attitude,” Cunningham said. “I put a lot of pressure on him about what he needs to do but the good part about him is he’s able to take the coaching and he applies it and takes it the right way and his game keeps going up and up. He’s a super kid.”
Christian Kassay added seven points for Highland.
The Bulldogs get back into action on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, with a home game against Edwardsville. Triad also resumes action at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, hosting Centralia.
This story was originally published January 11, 2020 at 4:07 PM.