Warner Robins basketball faces another tough learning moment with loss to Grovetown

WARNER ROBINS — The Warner Robins Demons (5-3) have had a few tough learning experiences this year, with their 66-46 loss to the Grovetown Warriors (9-3) the latest.

They had a chance to get back into the game with a single digit deficit and defensive momentum in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t get it done on offense.

Three observations:

Two-minute opportunity

The Demons’ best opportunity to win the game was a two-ish minute stretch starting with 6:40 left in the fourth quarter.

Rykeem Ashley got an offensive rebound and put it back to cut the deficit to single digits for the first time since the second quarter, and Warner Robins finally strung together several stops in a row.

The only problem — they couldn’t score.

That wasn’t exclusive to this stretch, in fact that was the case from the tip. Trey Bradley had a lot of iso opportunities to start the first quarter, and he’s usually able to rise above defenders with his pull-up jumper because of his exceptional length.

Those shots were routinely getting blocked against the Warriors, who took those (and defensive rebounds or regular inbounds) and rocketed them up the floor to keep the Demons’ defense on their heels.

When Warner Robins did get some shots to fall, the defense slipped and the advantage was rendered null.

“We just couldn’t score man. Started out slow, couldn’t score,” said Warner Robins basketball coach Jamaal Garman. “We were defending, both teams defended very well, and they started knocking down some threes. That really was the game…we just had a hard time putting it in the basket today.”

“There was a stretch there where we played real good defense…I’m just like, all we gotta do is just get it in the basket a little bit and then things will start going for us. But it didn’t happen. This is what you get with a two week layoff, two weeks no games…That won’t be an excuse from here on out, we got games for [the rest of the season].”

It all starts with the three-ball

Once Grovetown got Warner Robins on their heels it was difficult for the Demons to keep up.

The Warriors knocked down 3-pointer after 3-pointer, and that was only the start.

Grovetown did an excellent job leveraging their great 3-point shooting by using shot fakes to drive the ball and force defensive rotations, which the Demons didn’t execute well.

Every possession Warner Robins was on their heels, and the Warriors were patient enough to keep moving the ball until there was inevitably an opening either from three or at the basket.

Even when the deficit was brought within nine in the fourth quarter, Grovetown exploded for a 16-5 run in the final half of the period.

“Stay in front of our man,” Garman said on what they could have done better defensively. “We just couldn’t stop ball penetration today…it was just dribble penetration after dribble penetration after dribble penetration and kick to wide open shooters. We weren’t rotating the way we were supposed to be, we weren’t stopping dribble penetration like we were supposed to be.”

Self awareness

Several Warner Robins players were visibly frustrated with themselves and their effort in the loss. After bad plays on the court, on the way to the locker room and even inside it they could be heard talking to each other about where they messed up.

That kind of accountability is something not every team has, and it makes Garman’s job a lot easier.

“[It’s] extremely encouraging because that’s what we’re teaching them. We’re teaching them to be responsible for their own actions,” Garman said. “Take accountability for what you’re doing and to know that they were talking about all the things they did wrong, that’s encouraging to me. Now I just go in and coach them.”

“I don’t have to go in and yell at them…they already know this. So now it’s just gonna be me as a coach. I’m gonna have to nurture that and make them feel even more responsible for what they gotta do. The only way to get it done is to get it done, man. There ain’t no other way around it.”

UP NEXT

The Demons will be back in action on Saturday. The Demonettes will play Grovetown at 10:30 a.m., and the boys will play St. Anne-Pacelli at 6 p.m. at Weatherspoon Gymnasium.