PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL: Changing culture at Concord plays out in 38-35 loss to Fort Wayne South Side

Dec. 23—ANGOLA — There were several positives for Concord in Saturday's first half of the Minutemen's game against Fort Wayne South Side during the Parkview Sports Medicine Holiday Shootout at the MTI Center on the campus of Trine University.

Then the second half came around, and the Minutemen's 15-point lead evaporated for the Archers (5-10) to steal a 38-35 win, dropping Concord to 4-9.

"We just came out flat," first year head coach Brandon Abel said about his team, which was outscored 28-10 in the second half. "There were just so many moments that didn't go our way. We just didn't respond. They came at us and got energy in the second half and we just never really responded."

Abel told his team about how South Side "plays harder when they're down," referencing after the game that the Archers won in a similar fashion over Lakeland earlier Saturday.

"The ball ended up in hands that it normally doesn't end up in," Abel said about Concord's second half offensive showing. "It's just some rush mistakes. We'd beat the press and then turn it over. We're just late on a lot of things, like the pass was there two seconds ago and now it's not."

Concord was led in the scoring column by Mileah McKain (8 points), Kambrya Zilm (7), Halle Ganger (7), Dominique Stilley (5), Annika Troyer (4), Shelby Emerick (2) and Claire Campanello (2).

Stilley, the main offensive threat for the Minutemen, was face guarded for most of game, making it often hard for the senior to touch the ball, much less find room to shoot. Concord shot 16-for-45 from the floor, making 3-of-13 3-point attempts and finishing 0-for-5 at the free throw line.

South Side shot 13-for-37 from the field, making 4-of-16 shots from beyond the arc and 4-of-7 from the line. Renaesha Autry finished with 19 points and was joined by Kamoni Grayson (7), Ga'Naysia White (4), Aries Odom (4), Treshanae Hill (2) and LahSeya Forte (2).

Also joking that the hoop next to the Concord bench may have had a glass lid on it seeing how both teams failed to climb over 10 points when shooting towards it, Abel was honest about his group which needs a winning culture paint job.

"We're changing culture here," Abel said. "Our first goal as a staff and me as a coach was that we have to change mindsets. It's a battle for us every day. When you're not used to winning, it's hard to [win]. Like you see in that game, shots are going in for South Side and our heads are going down."

The Minutemen went into halftime up 25-10, scoring 18-straight points and holding the Archers scoreless in the second quarter.

Autry scored 12 of her game-high 19 points in the third quarter as Concord turnovers and defensive breakdowns let South Side back into a game they had been lost in.

It was a familiar sight for the Minutemen who haven't been able to hold leads at other times this season, most noticeably against NorthWood (12-2) with five minutes remaining in the game against the Panthers.

It's the exposed look of a program trying to mold a new mentality.

A WORK IN PROGRESS

If one thing was clear in the Minutemen's loss Saturday, it was that the team didn't know how to keep their foot on the gas, but never thought about pressing the brakes.

Teams with experience winning games are able to search within themselves for examples of how to close out a game. That isn't in the rolodex for Concord, who has had just two winning seasons since 1994 and went 5-18 last season.

A win Saturday would have reached that five-win mark, instead, the search continues.

"We're one win away from what they had last year [and] we have more wins in the NLC than we had last year," Abel said, challenging his group for even more. "Can we build on that? Can we beat five wins? Can we get another game in the NLC? Can we get to eight or nine wins?

That's not a wild statement, considering Concord opens the new year with a game at West Noble (1-12) and has games against Goshen (5-8), Jimtown (7-8) and others remaining.

Saturday showed Concord can do it. The Minutemen may be 4-9, but the talent is there to achieve more this season and especially as Abel gets more seasons in Dunlap under his belt.

NEW FEATURES OF A NEW GROUP IN CHARGE

The gameplan to turn the program around starts with Abel and his coaching staff's implementations to the team which features just two seniors.

"We have put a heavy emphasis on building culture and building mindsets," Abel said, also adding that one of the new concepts is starting practice with what they call "curriculum," a part of practice where questions of how to be the best version of yourself are asked and talked through.

"We have five standards which we call 'green standards' and you're trying to be in the green every day," Abel said. "We don't want to be in the red. So, we're trying to hold each other accountable with green behaviors versus red behaviors. It's a constant battle every day; you have to fight to be green."

The first-year head coach, who came down from a successful stint at Edwardsburg High School in Michigan, finds confidence to be another characteristic that the team is developing.

"That's really been our focus is can we change their mindsets and confidence," Abel said. "Confidence is a big thing, not only for us but girls sports in general. The number of teams I've been on where their weaknesses are confidence... a win like beating Mishawaka, that was the confidence I think we needed."

Speaking of, the win over the Cavemen this past week broke a streak of 16-consecutive NLC losses for the Minutemen program. While Abel hoped for it to turn into a win streak, the impact that win had was felt nonetheless.

Abel adds that they are currently building the culture "top to bottom" and have been encouraged by lower grade levels not just accepting the changes, but believing in them.

"If we stay true to holding everyone accountable, the culture is going to be there," Abel said. "It may take a few years until we see it top to bottom, but we have to develop it."

Concord (4-9) returns to the hardwood Tuesday, Jan. 2 at West Noble (1-13).

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

South Side — 10; 0; 16; 12 — 38

Concord — 15; 10; 4; 6 — 35

Reach Matt Lucas at 574-533-2151, ext. 240325, or at matt.lucas@goshennews.com.