For the Daily Journal
The first game of the basketball season can be like a test — pass or fail.
For three quarters, the Edinburgh boys passed the test. However, the Lancers failed the most important part of the test, the fourth quarter, squandering a nine-point lead to lose to Southwestern (Shelbyville) 53-43 in their season opener Tuesday night.
Clearly this was an exam the Lancers could have aced.
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Click here to purchase photos from this gallery“We gave this one away,” said Edinburgh coach Drew Glentzer. “For three quarters we played harder than (Southwestern), but we lost our composure in the fourth, and they were the aggressor and played the way they wanted to in that quarter.”
Edinburgh started out well, at times looking more like a seasoned club than one taking part in a season opener.
The Lancers didn’t commit a foul in the first quarter and frustrated the Spartans early with some tough defense and movement around the basket that got Southwestern’s 6-foot-4 junior forward Erik Shackleford in foul trouble in the first quarter.
Despite this, the Lancers couldn’t get a lead of more than four points on Southwestern, which for its part kept the game close with four 3-point shots. As a result, the game was tied at 24 entering halftime.
Defense was the theme in the second half, as both teams struggled to not only score but hold on to the ball. That struggle ended up in Edinburgh’s favor, as it limited the Spartans to only four third-quarter points while building a seemingly healthy nine-point lead.
That all disappeared in the fourth with two 3-pointers and two Edinburgh turnovers that led to four more points, part of a 15-0 closing run by the Spartans.
After the 2:49 mark, Edinburgh didn’t score again.
“I thought we did some good things at first, and I’m proud of the guys,” Glentzer said. “This is the first real game this group has played. They are smart enough to understand we have a long way to go, but overall this wasn’t a bad game.”
Edinburgh was led by junior guard Justin Fosskuhl with 15 points. Sophomore Coltan Henderson added 11.
Southwestern’s Jacob Swanson led all scorers with 26 points, 14 of them in the fourth quarter. Noah Swift added 12.
Edinburgh will host county rival Indian Creek on Saturday.
