The first 16 minutes of the Our Redeemer's Christian School boys basketball home opener wasn't exactly what Knights coach Jeremy Feller had in mind.
His team's offensive output was lacking early Saturday, as evidenced by the 29 first-half points, the 30-percent shooting and the many turnovers that plagued the Knights.
But ORCS came out crisp on both sides of the ball after the intermission, scored 41 points after halftime and downed the Braves 70-48.
Article Photos
Adam Lawson/MDN
Our Redeemer’s Christian School junior Micah Jacobsen goes up for a layup in the Knights’ 70-48 victory over Parshall on Saturday at ORCS.
"I felt like the first half we just didn't come out as sharp as we could have been," Knights coach Jeremy Feller said. "I felt like we could've took care of the basketball better and pushed a little harder. Second half, I think it was a combination of wearing them down and getting them in foul trouble."
Parshall (0-3) never had an answer for the Knights' zone defense. The Braves made just 17 shots from the field, five of them coming in a fourth quarter that was mostly played against ORCS reserves.
The misses led to fast-break and layup opportunities for the Knights. In the third quarter, those chances finally led to sustained runs. ORCS went on a 10-0 run early in the frame to build a 61-36 lead and finished the period with a 22-point cushion.
"(ORCS) did a very good job setting the tempo of the game," Parshall coach Dusty Olson said. "We just couldn't stop (them), couldn't contain ourselves. The ball just would not go in the bucket for us tonight."
The uptempo pace, combined with a deep bench, allowed the Knights to stay fresh and wear out the thin Braves. Eleven ORCS players got on the scoreboard and seven tallied at least seven points. Logan Sorum paced ORCS with 14 points.
"When we have a bench that keeps on coming in (with) new players each time, it's hard to lose your breath," Sorum said.
Despite using their bench for most of the final stanza, the Knights put up 19 points. Freshmen Ben Talley and Josh VanLith were the only starters to score in the quarter and VanLith recorded all seven of his points in the period. The Knights play Sawyer at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Velva Invite.
Jade Moran scored 22 for Parshall. The Braves host Trinity Christian on Dec. 15.