By SKYE SEIPP
@seippetc
The Harvesters’ playoff success continued Thursday night as they beat the Mountain View Lions 107-82 in the semi-finals of the DAC Region V Tournament.
Coach Anthony Fletcher says that coming out strong was an important factor in the Harvesters victory.
“We just jumped on them early,” said Fletcher.
From the start of the game, the Harvesters stayed ahead of the Lions and went into the half up 58-43.
The Harvesters struggled in the opening of the second half, scoring only four points in the first five minutes.
The Lions cut the lead to 62-52 and gave the appearance that they could rally back.
The Harvesters pressed back, going on an 11 point scoring streak in under two minutes, bringing the score to 73-52 with about 13:30 minutes to go.
With both the defense and offense working in rhythm, the Lions found it difficult to break their 20-point deficit.
Guard Rashaun Coleman is a player that Fletcher says is a key component in all aspects of the game.
“He’s the heart and soul of our team,” said Fletcher.
Coleman had 14 points and 13 assist in the game against the Cedar Valley Suns two days before.
His ability to read the court and set up scoring plays has been a key for the Harvesters success.
Guards Danny Salamah, D’Angelo Smith, Anthony McGee, Ta’Marcus Butler and forwards Demauria Haywood, and Scott Garriga have all worked in unison the last two games.
With all of these players in their sophomore year at Eastfield, the chance of the season being over with a loss is what Fletcher says is driving the team right now.
“Do or die,” said Fletcher “you got to get it done.”
The Harvesters will try and keep their shot at the National Championship Tournament alive on Saturday when they play the Richland Thunderducks at 2:00 PM at Richland.
Coach Fletcher says Saturday’s game could be a tough game for the Harvesters, as the Thunderducks are the conference champions and have already beaten the Harvesters twice in the regular season.
A win for the Harvesters on Saturday is not a straight ticket to the National Championship Tournament in Rochester, MN.
With Richland being the conference champions, a win on Saturday for the Harvesters means that another game will be played between the two teams on Monday to decide who plays in Rochester.
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