CRESTVIEW — Eighteen games into the 2014-2015 season Crestview High School’s boys basketball team still has some work to do.
Crestview Coach Greg Watson admits there are times when the Bulldogs miss easy shots. There are other times when they take bad shots and get sloppy with the ball. And, more often than not, they Bulldogs have been slow to finish a team off an opponent on the ropes.
All of Watson’s concerns showed their ugly heads at one time or another during Friday’s District 1-7A game with Tate. But the Bulldogs overcame those hiccups to beat the Aggies 64-49.
Crestview-Tate boys basketball photos>>>
“We’ve really been talking about when we do get leads to try and finish games,” Watson said. “For whatever reason this team hasn’t team developed that yet. I wish I knew what it is and then I could fix it.
“Credit to Tate, they fought hard and didn’t give up, but we have to develop that killer instinct.”
Andrew Adkins led the way for Crestview scoring 17 points. Adkins was one of three Bulldogs in double figures. Rusty Moorer scored 12 points and Marquis McClain added 11 points in the win.
The Aggies scored first on a 3-point basket by Daniel Caferella. A Keenan Redd basket was followed by a Moorer 3-pointer as the Bulldogs moved in front 5-3.
The teams traded baskets through the opening minutes of the second quarter.
Crestview (10-8, 4-2) led 14-11 at the end of the first quarter.
Jake Henry tied the game with a 3-pointer for Tate in the opening minute of the second quarter. A McClain dunk put Crestview back in front.
Zach Phelan, who led Tate in scoring with 12 points, converted an old fashion 3-point play as the Aggies reclaimed the lead,
The teams traded scores until a Moorer 3-pointer put the Bulldogs up 22-20 with 4:14 left in the half.
Crestview led the rest of the way and stretched the lead to 34-25 at the end of the half.
The Bulldogs stretched their lead to 41-29 with 5:28 left in the third quarter when Adkins scored off an in-bounds pass.
At that point it looked as if the Bulldogs would blow Tate out of the gym, but Aggies still had some fight left.
Tate cut the Crestview lead to seven points at the end of the third quarter.
With 2:30 left in the fourth quarter Caferella hit a 3-pointer to pull the Aggies to with 51-39 of Crestview. Caferella’s basket was the last of the night for the Aggies.
Dakota Childree hit a basket to open an 11-0 run for the Bulldogs that ended with Tay King hitting 3-pointer at the buzzer for the Bulldogs.
“It’s a good win,” Watson said. “Right now all the regular season means if for seeding (in the district tournament).
“I told our guys, ‘We aren’t trying to win this game, we are trying to improve.’ There are three weeks left and the most important thing is we improve and not focus on the results of wining. But hopefully we can do both.”
Email News Bulletin Sports Editor Randy Dickson, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Adkins leads Bulldogs past Aggies (PHOTOS, VIDEO)