by Mark Butcher

Sports Writer

The Mountain View Boys Varsity team stepped onto their home court Thursday (Nov. 15) for the first time this season with a line-up modified from their opening season loss at Central Kitsap on Tuesday (Nov. 13).

Starting for the second game in a row was guard Samuel Tucker, who had been moved from point to the wing, wing Trevon Pietz, forward Jaylon Green, and post Amir Thomas. New to the line-up were guards Marqkieth Ellison, who started at the point, and reserve Trenton Bulmer, whose 21-point JV performance Tuesday against the Cubs earned him a spot on the varsity bench.

Although Tucker scored the Squires only points in the 1^st quarter, four, Mountain View got its offense going in the 2^nd period and rolled off 12, 15, and 14 points in the subsequent quarters. But, Sedgwick put 64 points on the scorebook and handed the Squires their second loss of the season, 65-to-45.

Head Coach Jesse Taylor's adjustment, moving Tucker from the point to the wing, improved his overall performance. His scoring improved from 2 to 8 points. His rebounding doubled, from 3 boards Tuesday to 6 Thursday. And, steals jumped from 2 to 5 against Sedgwick.

The change also improved Green’s output, who recorded a team-high 15 points and 10 rebounds, the first double-double of his school basketball career. Through the final three quarter, Green’s production was steady. He scored at least four points and pulled down three rebounds each quarter. With two additional steals, he would have amassed a triple-double. He ended the game with a team-high eight steals.

Adding Ellison to the line-up improved the team’s speed, as the Squires snatched 23 steals from teh Generals, which they converted into 10 points. Ellison pilfered four and put eight points into the scorebook.

From the post, Pietz nabbed four steals and had his second strong rebounding performance, pulling down eight rebounds, second only to Green.

Bulmer stepped onto the varsity court for the first-time at the start of the 2^nd quarter. Initially, he looked uncomfortable, playing with unfamiliar players and playing offensively on the wing. When he returned in the 4^th quarter, to play the point, he looked relaxed and held his own. In twelve minutes of action, he recorded 1 point, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 turnover.

The area where Mountain View failed to improve was in turnovers. Tuesday against the Cubs they committed 22 turnovers. Thursday against the Generals they gave the ball away 23 times, which was 23% of their possessions. The 21-points Sedgwick scored off Squires turnovers was the difference in the game.

Additionally, the MV Boys Varsity continued to bomb away from behind the three-point line. Ellison hit the team’s first trifecta at the halftime buzzer, a half-court heave that struck the right side of the backboard and careened in. Devonsei Johnson made the team’s first half-court set three, from the top right-side of the key, late in the 3^rd quarter. Fifteen other times, 25% of the offense, the team's long-range shot attempt went awry.

Monday (Nov. 19) the Squires will board the bus for their first of two games this season against the Poulsbo Panthers. This one will be played in Poulsbo at Poulsbo Middle School. Varsity game time is schedule for 3:30 p.m., the JV game will follow at 5.

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