Slow-starting Cards drop two

Boys basketball

By: Jim Green
   Just when the Lawrence High School boys basketball team figured out how to close games, it started having trouble opening them.
   The Cardinals’ second straight solid fourth-quarter performance was offset by a sluggish first quarter Friday night as Lawrence fell to Hightstown 55-52. Lawrence managed only six points in the first quarter and 18 in the first half on the way to its third loss in four games.
   "We had a really lackluster first half," Lawrence coach Pat Tarrant said. "We were lucky to only be down by six (24-18). We came on in the second half, and we had our chances."
   Lawrence then fell to Steinert 54-40 Tuesday night. The two losses dropped the Cardinals to 2-5 overall and 2-3 in the Colonial Valley Conference.
   The Cardinals were coming off a strong fourth-quarter effort in their 40-39 win over Ewing on Jan. 3. But the Cardinals were not able to make up for their early mistakes against a solid Hightstown team.
   Lawrence, which outscored Hightstown 34-31 in the second half, rallied to take a one-point lead on the Rams with about four minutes left in regulation. But the Rams shot 9-of-10 from the foul line down the stretch to secure the victory.
   "That (the Ram’s free-throw shooting) really hurt us," Tarrant said. "The last three or four minutes, we never really got the stop we needed."
   Tarrant, though, is pleased with his team’s recent defensive play.
   "We’re starting to play better defense," he said. "On offense, we sometimes really struggle. We’re not being patient."
   Those struggles start with standout guard Shawn Potocki. The senior, who totaled 51 points in his first two games, has not topped 14 since.
   Despite connecting on three 3-pointers against Hightstown, Potocki finished with only 11 points.
   "He (Potocki) had a tough game (against Hightstown)," Tarrant said. "He didn’t seem to have any energy. I’m hoping he’ll bounce back."
   Tarrant feels Potocki is still adjusting to being the Cardinals’ go-to guy.
   "It’s a new situation for him (Potocki)," Tarrant said. "It has to be difficult. He has to lead the way for us to be successful."
   One player who continues to be a pleasant surprise is point guard Matt Stein. The sophomore, who hit two crucial fourth-quarter free throws against Ewing, nailed a 3-pointer with under a minute left Friday to cut Hightstown’s lead to 51-49.
   Stein scored only those five points during the two games.
   "All those points were crucial," Tarrant said. "He (Stein) is not taking any bad shots. He’s running the offense and handling the pressure."
   The Cardinals next play host to Allentown at 7 p.m. Friday. Lawrence then travels to Group IV school Hunterdon Central at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
   "This is a really big week for us," Tarrant said. "Allentown is scrappy. You can’t look past them. They can score some points.
   "We can’t look past any game."
   The Cardinals know they must match strong first-quarter performances with solid fourth-quarter efforts.
   "We have to put the whole game together," Tarrant said. "We can’t be lethargic. We have to play with the same mindset the entire game."