ALBANY - Cold shooting, poor rebounding and turnovers are not usually involved in the description of a team that just won a big game. Albany's 57-41 loss to Potosi Tuesday night was no different.
"You have to give credit to (Potosi). They played a really good game and we didn't," Albany head coach Mike Brunhoefer said. "For a team that's only played their second game, I'd say they played pretty well. They had to shoot over 60 percent - easily. We weren't getting second-shot opportunities because we weren't rebounding, but they didn't need second-shot opportunities because their shots were going in."
The Comets opened the game cold from the field, something Brunhoefer's electric team is not used to.
"You could see the frustration in their eyes. They've kind of been pretty spoiled with their shots going in this year, that's why we were 4-1. But, we're playing a little bit better of caliber teams right now," he said.
Albany junior point guard Hayli Peach thought the sluggish shooting start may have led to a lack in hustle out of frustration.
"We need to work on rebounding. Some of us looked like we didn't really hustle out there, so hopefully tomorrow (today) we get down to it in practice," she said.
Potosi led just 11-7 at the end of the first quarter, but opened the second period on a 12-2 run to put the Comets down 12 midway through the frame. By halftime, Albany trailed 27-16.
"I told the girls in the first half, 'You have to shoot, guards. We have to start playing with some urgency,'" Brunhoefer said.
The third quarter seemed to doom the Comets, as Potosi outscored the home team 18-9. Albany's deficit reached 21-points, 47-26, just over a minute into the fourth quarter. That's when Brunhoefer got his team to settle down and Peach started putting up 3-pointers.
"Coach told me I could shoot more. I got hot when we started coming back, so I just decided to keep shooting. Almost every time I got, the ball I put up a 3," said Peach, who scored a team-high 15 points on five 3s, four of which came in the second half and three in the fourth quarter alone. Peach put up 11 shots from downtown on the night, but was 3 of 4 in the fourth.
Albany brought the score back to within 10 points at 51-41 before sending the Chieftains to the line six times in the final minute.
Down one player already, Albany suffered a second injury prior to the game. Junior forward Kaitlyn Schulz and freshman guard Cassidy Bump missed the game. Schulz has a foot injury, but Brunhoefer said he was expecting her to return just in time for Christmas. Bump will need longer to heal her knee.
"Hopefully we can get Kaitlyn back Thursday, if not by Monday," Brunhoefer said. "The thing is, I keep looking at the bench and I see that I have no bench. We have Barneveld on Thursday and Faith Christian on Saturday. I just want to survive the week."
The loss of Bump forces Peach and junior Courtney Pfeuti to play the entire game with no rest, something Peach is wishing she had back.
"Cassidy usually came in for me, so having to play the whole game is getting kind of rough," she said.
Pfeuti scored nine points for Albany in Tuesday's contest. Hillary Best had eight points, Sydney Bump notched seven and Kirstie Kauk added a bucket to round out the team's scoring.
Katie Reynolds scored 18 to lead Potosi (1-1). Three other Chieftains reached double digits. Potosi hit 25 field goals in the game, all from inside the arc. Albany was 10 of 32 from inside the arc and 5 of 20 from distance, with Peach the only one connecting.
"We can't even worry about this game, we have to get ready for Barneveld. I know Barneveld will be coming after us," Brunhoefer said.
"You have to give credit to (Potosi). They played a really good game and we didn't," Albany head coach Mike Brunhoefer said. "For a team that's only played their second game, I'd say they played pretty well. They had to shoot over 60 percent - easily. We weren't getting second-shot opportunities because we weren't rebounding, but they didn't need second-shot opportunities because their shots were going in."
The Comets opened the game cold from the field, something Brunhoefer's electric team is not used to.
"You could see the frustration in their eyes. They've kind of been pretty spoiled with their shots going in this year, that's why we were 4-1. But, we're playing a little bit better of caliber teams right now," he said.
Albany junior point guard Hayli Peach thought the sluggish shooting start may have led to a lack in hustle out of frustration.
"We need to work on rebounding. Some of us looked like we didn't really hustle out there, so hopefully tomorrow (today) we get down to it in practice," she said.
Potosi led just 11-7 at the end of the first quarter, but opened the second period on a 12-2 run to put the Comets down 12 midway through the frame. By halftime, Albany trailed 27-16.
"I told the girls in the first half, 'You have to shoot, guards. We have to start playing with some urgency,'" Brunhoefer said.
The third quarter seemed to doom the Comets, as Potosi outscored the home team 18-9. Albany's deficit reached 21-points, 47-26, just over a minute into the fourth quarter. That's when Brunhoefer got his team to settle down and Peach started putting up 3-pointers.
"Coach told me I could shoot more. I got hot when we started coming back, so I just decided to keep shooting. Almost every time I got, the ball I put up a 3," said Peach, who scored a team-high 15 points on five 3s, four of which came in the second half and three in the fourth quarter alone. Peach put up 11 shots from downtown on the night, but was 3 of 4 in the fourth.
Albany brought the score back to within 10 points at 51-41 before sending the Chieftains to the line six times in the final minute.
Down one player already, Albany suffered a second injury prior to the game. Junior forward Kaitlyn Schulz and freshman guard Cassidy Bump missed the game. Schulz has a foot injury, but Brunhoefer said he was expecting her to return just in time for Christmas. Bump will need longer to heal her knee.
"Hopefully we can get Kaitlyn back Thursday, if not by Monday," Brunhoefer said. "The thing is, I keep looking at the bench and I see that I have no bench. We have Barneveld on Thursday and Faith Christian on Saturday. I just want to survive the week."
The loss of Bump forces Peach and junior Courtney Pfeuti to play the entire game with no rest, something Peach is wishing she had back.
"Cassidy usually came in for me, so having to play the whole game is getting kind of rough," she said.
Pfeuti scored nine points for Albany in Tuesday's contest. Hillary Best had eight points, Sydney Bump notched seven and Kirstie Kauk added a bucket to round out the team's scoring.
Katie Reynolds scored 18 to lead Potosi (1-1). Three other Chieftains reached double digits. Potosi hit 25 field goals in the game, all from inside the arc. Albany was 10 of 32 from inside the arc and 5 of 20 from distance, with Peach the only one connecting.
"We can't even worry about this game, we have to get ready for Barneveld. I know Barneveld will be coming after us," Brunhoefer said.
