There's nothing better in basketball than enjoying home-court advantage. In the three years Byron Nelson has been playing varsity boys basketball, coach Scott Curran has built the Bobcats' gym into an uncomfortable environment for the opposition.
Going into Tuesday's game against district co-leader Denton Guyer, Byron Nelson (22-4, 8-1 in District 5-4A) carried a 21-game home court winning streak. The program is 48-3 all-time in the familiar surroundings. The Bobcats have clinched a tie for a playoff berth and could have officially earned the berth as early as Tuesday."The kids have worked and earned it," Curran said. "They really don't even know what the streak is. They just know they're supposed to win. Every time, they step on the floor, they take a lot of pride in making sure they protect it."Oddly, the three losses are between two teams, Euless Trinity twice in the Nelson tournament and Azle. The Azle loss was in the second-ever district game. The Bobcats have won 16 consecutive home district games.The Bobcats have done it in a variety of ways, including playing the half court or open floor tempo. Discipline plays a role in successful teams learning how to win. Last week against Wichita Falls Rider and Lake Dallas, the Bobcats held each to 30 and 28 points. Lake Dallas really slowed the pace. Nelson led, 11-4, at halftime and won, 44-28."Good teams can do both," Curran said. "If you know you have the advantage, then you pick your spots. You can grind to get a good shot and then take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves."As Cale goes....Junior Cale Popovich averages about five points and 5.5 rebounds per game. But Curran knows that he's the X-factor when it comes to his team performing well in big games. While he only scored two points in the 50-46 victory over Denton Guyer, the 6-4 post created enough attention to where teams had to pay attention to him.That opened up the perimeter game. Popovich isn't what you would call a stat stuffer, but his presence is felt."It's something I've said," Curran said. "When Cale plays well, so do we. He usually plays his best basketball in big games."Northwest updateIn a matter of three weeks, Northwest has gone from a program that looked like it wasn't going to be a playoff contender to one that now controls its fate.The Texans (15-11, 6-3 in District 4-5A) played at Keller Timber Creek on Tuesday with a chance to create more distance. They were in third place behind co-leaders Richland and Keller. Defense has been the story during this five-game winning streak. The Texans have held the opposition to 38 percent shooting and created 10 steals per game. Northwest is trying to make the playoffs in four of Hatch's five seasons."We're just not giving up as many easy baskets," Hatch said. "Players are not driving through us. Our hands have been active. It's taken a while for the kids to get it, but they're picking up on it now."What Hatch needs is a more disciplined offense. As efficient as it may be, shooting 49 percent in district play, the Texans are still committing 16 turnovers per game. Hatch said half of those have been unforced.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
