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Jan. 7—Pisgah boys' basketball is riding high after a 4-0 run over Christmas break.
Before heading to Asheville for a three-game Christmas tourney, the Bears journeyed out to Cullowhee for the third-annual Catamount Clash at Western Carolina.
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"It's a great experience for the kids, and we're very thankful to the people out there for allowing us to do that and come out there and play on their gym floor," said Pisgah boys' coach Ben Rhodarmer.
The Bears avenged their loss earlier in the year to North Buncombe thanks to strong defense. In that previous matchup, the Bears were outscored 81-65. This time around, they clamped down and held the Black Hawks to 50 points.
Rhodarmer said the defense is starting to settle in despite not having many chances to practice so far this season.
"We've literally played more games than we've practiced now at this point," Rhodarmer said. "The kids are starting to get their legs and starting to understand that defense is a team thing."
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The game was also special as the boys got to play on a Division I basketball court.
"It's an experience that I think a lot of these kids will cherish as they get older," Rhodarmer said. "The Western staff is great. They've got their announcers and all those things going on. It's just a really cool experience."
The boys rode the defensive momentum from the win over North Buncombe through the Christmas tournament.
"We held the three teams to 30, 43 and 39. Our kids really came out with a good attitude and frame of mind of doing the job at hand," Rhodarmer said.
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The games were also big on helping the Bears get ready for the playoffs.
"We saw three completely different defenses over the three games, and it was good for our kids to see that because, ultimately, you prepare for conference and prepare for the playoffs and things like that. Our kids being able to adjust and play is a testament to them and their mental focus," Rhodarmer said.
The first game was against R-S Central, which the Bears won commandingly 74-30.
In the second game, the Bears faced off against a showcase team from Australia, winning 59-43.
"They were very physical. They were used to a little bit more physical style of play than what we're used to. Our kids had to adjust to that. They're not used to being beaten, banged, and those kinds of things, but they adjusted. We kind of started taking off early in the second half and never looked back," Rhodarmer said.
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In the Christmas tourney finale, the Bears faced off against Traveler's Rest, from South Carolina, winning 51-39.
"We weren't sure what we were going to see, but we control what we can control, and that's us. Our kids are doing a really good job of playing together and meshing and moving the basketball," Rhodarmer said.
Now, the Bears are hoping to turn that momentum into some success in conference play down the stretch.
"It's cliché, but it's one game at a time. No matter the opponent, we play the way we play," Rhodarmer said. "It's definitely one of the harder conferences on this side of the state. It's good from top to bottom. If you don't come out and play your best every game, there's a possibility anybody in this conference can beat anybody."
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