Carroll boys basketball team has strong week en route to playoffs

The Carroll boys basketball team had a strong effort last week, winning both games and taking one step closer to a postseason berth.

The Dragons played Colleyville Heritage on Tuesday night after the press deadline and will square off with Haltom at 8 p.m. Friday at home.

“They have a new coach, and they are very well coached,” coach Eric McDade said of Haltom. “I would not say that they are in a rebuilding process, but they are in a situation where they are really finding out who they are. They are really understanding their identity, and they have some really good playmakers. They are going to be a good challenge for us.”

Carroll defeated Trinity on Friday night by a score of 78-53, and McDade said it he was pleased with how his team performed on both sides of the court.

“It was a great defensive effort,” McDade said. “They’ve got a player that is very explosive in Jhivvan Jackson, and any time you face them, you know it’s going to take a team effort. Not just one guy is going to guard him, but our team did a great job. Adjustments were made, and we were able to hold him down for a little bit, and really were able to execute on the offensive end.

“We may have missed [only] one field goal in the fourth quarter, so it was good offense and good defense.”

Jackson was held to 11 points in the game, and he was a player McDade said the Dragons wanted to stop heading into the game.

“It was a good team effort, and the guys really executed the game plan,” McDade said. “Up until the very end, when he made two free throws, he had nine. So the guys did a great job of buying into what we are trying to do and we are starting to play some pretty good basketball at the right time.”

Jack McBride led the team in scoring with 21 points against the Trojans, while Joey McCormick scored 16 points in the game.

Stephen Bloomstrom scored 12 points for the Dragons and Copper Osburn added 11 points, while Sam Bourcy, Jacob Gordon and Tyson Smiter combined for 18 points in the game.

This story was originally published February 8, 2016 at 3:32 PM with the headline "Carroll boys basketball team has strong week en route to playoffs."