Connersville

The CMS 8th grade white basketball team hosted the Morristown Yellowjackets at the Fieldhouse Thursday night. CMS set the tone early, edging Morristown 6-4 after the first quarter behind disciplined defense and strong rebounding. The Spartans continued to build confidence in the second quarter, matching Morristown shot for shot and headed into halftime with a 1 point lead, 18-17. The fist half showcased the Spartans at its best. They rebounded well, limited turnovers, and consistently got back on defense, forcing Morristown to slow its transition game. Momentum shifted after halftime. Morristown began to assert its physical advantages in the third quarter, outscoring CMS 16-11 to take a 33-28 lead. The Yellowjackets size and speed continued to wear on the Spartans in the fourth quarter, where Morristown closed the game with a 15-4 run to seal the 48-32 final. Tonight was a step in the right direction for us. I thought the first half was the best basketball we’ve played all season. We rebounded the ball, took care of it, and did a really good job getting back on defense. That forced Morristown to slow down, which was exactly what we wanted and a big reason we had the lead at halftime. In the 2nd half their size and speed just took over. I felt like they wore us down and we couldn’t keep up with them in the fourth quarter. It’s a step in the right direction though. I felt like the kids competed and played with intensity the whole game, which is a big improvement from the beginning of the season. Bentley Sparks led all Spartans in scoring with 13 points, while Xavier Cooley added 7. Daxton Gregory finished with 4 points, and Colten Schonfeld, Holland Moore, Graham Pflum, and Tyler Ellis each contributed 2. The Spartans will look to build on the positives from their first half performance on Monday when they host Talawanda at the Arena. 7th grade is scheduled to start at 5:30pm.