By By Matthew Nascone
When the Northview Chiefs boy's basketball team played the Warriors of Pensacola Christian Academy it was a game of halves.
In the first half the game belonged to PCA as they took a 24-23 lead into the locker room.
"I didn't think we played well in the first half," NHS head coach Shane Reid said. "We were timid and we were afraid to make mistakes."
Reid said he had a completely different opinion of his team after the game was over.
"We made our halftime adjustments and we came out firing in the second half," Reid said. "I was proud of how they made the adjustments we talked about."
The adjustments included playing tighter defense and taking chances on offense if the shot was there. Reid said his guys looked like a completely different team in the second half, but he also said PCA came out with a new intensity as well.
The momentum was going back and forth all night until the end of the third quarter, Reid said.
"DeAngelo Kirkland hit a three-pointer at the buzzer of the third quarter to put us up by six points and we never looked back from that point on," Reid said.
Kirkland was on fire from beyond the three-point arc, connecting on three of four shots from downtown. He dropped in 13 points on the night. Reid said he was proud of how Kirkland picked out smart shots and didn't just throw the ball at the rim.
Senior big man Cedric McKinley led the way for the Chiefs with 22 points. Courtney Whatley and Ahmadh Simpson were the only other Chiefs who scored. Whatley contributed 14 points, eight assists and four steals and Simpson added six point.
"Simpson came off the bench and played great defense to go along with his six points," Reid said. "He was all over the ball as soon as it was in bounds. He brought some aggression off the bench."
The win bumps Northview to a .500 mark at 2-2 for the season.
On Nov. 29 the Chiefs dropped a close one 45-42 to the Tigers of T.R. Miller High School.
"T.R. Miller is good at anything they do and they always play at a high intensity level," Reid said. "We went in there and only lost by three, but we beat ourselves with 21 turnovers. My guys played with the intensity needed to win, but we just turned the ball over too many times."
The Miller game was one of those games where the shots are there for your team, but they just don't fall, Reid said.
"We had a shot rim out at the final buzzer that would have tied the game," Reid said. "I am proud of their effort."
McKinley was again the leading scorer for NHS with 16 points and 20 rebounds. Nakita Miles added eight points and Reid said the rest of the points were spread throughout the team.
Reid is confident the Chiefs will have all the bugs worked out and be ready to play at their best when the team reaches district play Dec. 9 against South Walton High School.
"I believe we are going to draw district at the right time when we are clicking as a team and we will be ready," Reid said.
In girl's action
The woes of the Northview Lady Chiefs continued Thursday as the team dropped its sixth game of the year to Tate 60-23.
"We just ran out of gas," NHS head coach Lorenzo Jones said. "My girls got tired and we will fix that in practice by running more and getting them into condition."
Jones said he was happy with the effort his girls gave him on the court.
"We are getting better at breaking the press of the other team and they know they can play and they are not giving up," Jones said. "We didn't play anything near to what we are capable of."
The high points for the Lady Chiefs were the play of the girls, a couple in particular, Jones said.
"Timeka Marshall stepped up and played well for us," Jones said. "Finese Newton played well and Tempelton Foster rebounded the ball well."
T.R. Miller showed no mercy against NHS, defeating the Lady Chiefs 75-21 on Nov. 29.
"They pressed for three quarters," Jones said. "They were faster than us and we couldn't get the ball over their big girls either."
Jones again said he was pleased with the effort his girls showed in the game, even though they were getting beat.
"I was pleased that they didn't give up," he said.
Marshall led the Lady Chiefs in scoring with eight points and Tempelton Foster added seven. Rachel Killam, Brittney Thompson and Yasmine Odom put in two each and Cassady Carter and Finese Newton each knocked down one free throw.
The Lady Chiefs ninth grade girls will face Escambia County High School tomorrow and the Chiefs JV boys, varsity girls and varsity boys will square off against Flomaton tomorrow starting tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. at NHS.