Basketball 101: Go up early

NEW PORT RICHEY - Shooting nearly 50 percent for the entire game, the Nature Coast Sharks (8-5 overall) put the Mitchell Mustangs (1-10) away in a non-district match-up last Friday, 40-21.

Nature Coast built a first-quarter lead, 10-4, following back-to-back three-pointers by Joe Silvestri (18 points), a free throw by Michael Fields and a third trey by Bryant Pent, who also had two steals five minutes into the game.

The Sharks continued to bomb from downtown in the second.

After Silvestri opened the second quarter with a jumper from the foul line, P.J. Orgass, coming off the bench to rest starter Tevin Drake (2 points, 2 rebounds) hit a three and then lefty Mike Adams (5 rebounds) continued the rally by nailing three consecutive three-pointers from all around the arc.

Nature Coast went into the half with a commanding 24-6 lead.

And then it stopped

In the third quarter, Mitchell came to life. Four different Mustangs found the bottom of the net. Defensively, the hosts held the Sharks to just six points, two field goals from Silvestri and one from Orgass (5 points).

Nature Coast missed three three-pointers and committed five fouls, and the Mustangs forced five turnovers.

But first-year NCT Head Coach David Pisarcik of the Sharks has seen this from his team before.

"We've been like that all year, great one half and then, the next half, you never know, pretty inconsistent," he commented. "I think a lot of it is that Mitchell's well coached. That's an adjustment they made."

The Sharks were up 30-8 with 3:02 left in the third quarter. At 5:31 left in the fourth, the Mustangs reduced that lead to 32-16, going on an 8-2 run.

With three minutes left in the game, Mitchell committed its seventh team foul and Nature Coast went into the bonus.

Silvestri was perfect from the line going 4-for-4 with a bucket. Fields and Drake also hit field goals on the way to a 10-7 fourth quarter.

"We're back from break, and we're a little rusty," said Pisarcik. "We've got a big week next week with Zephyrhills, Hudson, then Springstead; a tough week. Hopefully, we'll get our guys back in rhythm and practicing hard. We played well for a time; we've got to do it for 32 minutes. That's where I'm trying to get these guys at."