Lack of defense proves costly for 5th grade

The 5th grade jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the third place game of the Flame Tournament. From then on, it was not the same story.

Playing with only five players, they wore down as the game went on. What was really staggering was the lack of defense that they played in quarters two through four. There wasn't enough shifting and the other team took easy shot after easy shot. And what was once a 5 point lead, became a one-sided blowout.

They trailed by only three points at halftime, but their offense and defensive collectively went down the drain in the second half. They weren't getting back on defense, the posts didn't seem to rotate. On too many occassions, the other team would catch the ball in the paint and take a wide open shot.

Shots that the other team missed in the first half were going in and the 5th grade was in some deep trouble.

Not having Daniel, arguably one of their best defenders and rebounders, they were out worked and out manned on the boards. With Daniel, they would've had a better chance of making this game competitive.

Despite the loss, this is the first time a St. Mary's team has placed this high in a Flame Tournament since the early 2000s. Out of the 16 teams in the tournament, the 5th graders placed fourth.