After losing their season opener to the Braintree Wamps, the boys basketball team faced off against the Natick Red and Blue at Natick on Tuesday night.  Unfortunately, this game wouldn’t go the Rebels way either.

The Rebels struggled from the onset, in all phases of the game.  The most glaring; however, was the Rebels’ defense in the paint.  The Red and Blue dominated the inside for the entire game.   Natick’s big men had free reign over the Walpole defenders, and the Rebels were forced to play a lot of help defence to aid their own big men.  As a result, the Red and Blue’s  outside shooters were able to get open shots from the three-point line.  Seniors Brian Lotsbom and Tim Conley were able to keep the game close with two 3-pointers apiece, but the Rebels went into halftime down 32-25, Natick.

After halftime, the Natick Red and Blue picked up where they left off.  They continued to dominate the paint as well as the 3-point game.  “We just kept trying to play our game,” said junior captain Johnny Adams.  The Rebels never gave up, but Natick just kept hitting clutch 3 after clutch 3, and the Rebels lost 67-59.  The Rebels never could get on a roll offensively.  Although the Rebels were able to score, they never were able to string together a solid run of points.  On the opposite side of the ball, the Rebels let the Red and Blue Run the floor on them.  From both long range and in the paint, Natick had their way with Waplole, dominating the entire game.

Despite these recent failures, the Rebels look to the rest of their season optimistically.  “We just take it one game at a time,” says Adams. “The points will come, we just have to continue taking the shots.”