Why the panic?

I understand KML hasn't done that great of a job closing out close games this season. Chargers coach Todd Jahns said it perfectly when he said his team played not to lose.

The Chargers drew a sigh of relief in their 44-42 victory against Laconia Thursday, but there never should have been a panic.

KML was up 42-31 with 3:43 left in the game. Yes, Zach DeBoer got hot late and that is what charger the comeback.

It was noticeable that KML tensed up. First a shot was missed. Then they missed some free throws, then a couple turnovers happened. Everything was snowballing.

What the great thing about basketball is you if play good defense late you're going to win. The Chargers' two stops in the final minute literally won them the game. Brandon Mantz's rebound on DeBoer's shot with 8 seconds left was huge. It was a long rebound and in traffic. If he doesn't get that, the middle under the hoop was open and Laconia probably wins on a lay-up.

One thing I question was why didn't Laconia coach Tom King call a time out before that play, or even after Mantz missed his second free throw? I don't know their team, but you would think a set play for DeBoer what have been better than improvising. They are high school kids, not LeBron James.

KML's Dylan Rusch struggled and according to Jahns, Rusch has struggled the past couple of games. I noticed it early when it looking like Rusch was predetermining what he was going to do with the ball before he got it. His one and only 3-pointer was banked in and he was taking that shot open or not. Luckily it went in.

Rusch is a good player. He just needs to forget the past and just play his game. He should to let things develop, instead of predetermining where things are going. When a shooter isn't playing well they usually try and go inside to build confidence. It's tough to score when you're the main focus of the other team's defense, but he must get use to it and just fight through this time. It's better to struggle now, than in the playoffs.

Blake Basse, on the other hand, played great. This is two nights in a row Basse has led the Chargers in scoring. I like how aggressive he was and how confident he was shooting the ball from anywhere on the court.

Once Rusch gets back on his game, these two (plus Zach Jahns) have the potential to take KML deep into the playoffs.

Now with the late game tension. I'm sure Todd Jahns will get them to play a full four quarters. He's a good coach and he will be able to fix it.