Arlington boys basketball coach Tyler Spitser said rematch preparation was just a bus ride home away.
The Eagles lost a 44-38 game at Douglas County West on Friday night, but will play on the Falcons' home floor again today in Nebraska Capitol Conference Tournament competition. The first round game is set for a 6 p.m. tip.
AHS (6-8 overall) struggled to score in the teams' first bout, however. It made just two first-quarter field goals and none during the second period.
The Eagles' first make from the field since the first quarter was a Barrett Nielsen 3-pointer with 5:42 left in the third. The 6-foot-5 senior was responsible for his team's previous bucket, too, and finished with a team-high nine points.
Overall, though, Arlington was ineffective offensively against the Falcons, who earned regular steals and blocked shots during the Eagles' eight-point first half.
“We've got to work on driving with toughness and finishing with toughness,” Spitser said.
In falling behind 21-8, he felt his team played off-balance.
“On-balance offense is probably the key for us next Tuesday,” the coach added.
Without a strong scoring game Friday, though, the Eagles managed to keep things close with defense. It held the Falcons to their second-lowest point total of the season in defeat.
“I thought we were pretty solid,” Spitser said. “They're a high-scoring team, they play fast. They score a lot of points.”
But not against an Arlington team that pulled within five points, 41-36, on Colby Grefe's 3-pointer with 39.7 seconds left in game. It was just too, too late in the first of two Falcons-Eagles matchups.
