The shot from the baseline sent smiles throughout the Justin Northwest gym. Fans cheered, the Northwest bench roared and most importantly, Orlando Byrd felt some relief.
"I just thought that when I shot it, it had to go through," Byrd said. "I prayed that it would. It was a good feeling."Byrd's 15-footer extended Northwest's overtime lead from 51-50 to 53-50. It was his only basket of the game for the Texans' leading scorer. Northwest went on to win, 59-54. The relief was because Byrd had gone scoreless the previous game against Denton Guyer and clearly was in the midst of a lull.The game demonstrated how balanced Northwest's offense is with the likes of Peri James, Todd Chistensen and Parrish Smith. Each scored in double figures.But as the 7-5A season turned the corner to the second half, Byrd knows he has to be a threat in order to help the Texans return to the playoffs."He's really been pressing because he's a senior and he wants to have a big year," Northwest coach Mike Hatch said. "I know he's been frustrated about what's happened, but I've told him not to worry about it because he will be there for us. He's going to get his opportunities to score. He'll get through it."For the first two months of the 2011-2012 season, Byrd had emerged in leading Northwest to early success. He's averaging 12.5 points per game and has been shooting 51 percent on 2-point attempts and 34 percent on 3-point attempts.No longer was he just a catch-and-shoot type of player. He found the wherewithal to drive the ball to the basket. That's kind of a repetitive theme among maturing basketball players. They like to shoot the ball first.Convincing them to drive the ball to the basket is another story. That takes more courage and will than anything else, and most players really have to work at developing the mentality to do it.For Byrd, he is by no means a finished a product with this part of the game. He will still do what comes naturally to him. But there are drills that the coaches are working on so it will translate to a game."It's something that doesn't come naturally," Hatch said. "But Orlando has understood that he can't settle on everything from the perimeter. He's done a better job of adding it to his game."Byrd has tirelessly worked at his defense to cut off the opposing team's best player. Against Keller Fossil Ridge, he limited the Panthers' leader scorer Nate Jackson to just three points, a 3-pointer that came in the middle of the second quarter.These last three weeks of the season are going to be a test for the Texans. Five of their remaining seven district games are on the road. It started Tuesday at Carroll and continues Friday at Keller.So not only does Northwest need to find a way to win away from the home gym, it has to do it with Byrd being a part of it."It's good that we don't have to have one guy be the big player for us," Byrd said. "I'm just going to go home and keep practicing and keep working on my game and help us because we want to be in the playoffs."Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
