The end came for the Nocona Indians as they lost to powerhouse Brock on Saturday in Chico following a freezetastic week.
The Indians lost 73-48 to the Eagles, a result not so surprising considering Brock came in ranked second in the state in 3A.
Nocona knew it had its hands full even if the team would have had a week of practice. Instead the team had only one day of practice heading into the game due to the state-wide weather issues last week.
Coming into the game, the Indians big concern was trying to stop the Eagle’s big post player Nathan Jones inside.
Immediately Brock went to the big guy to start the game. Jones scored inside and also proved he could step outside and make perimeter shots as well.
The Eagles jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter. The Indians guards had a hard time getting into the lane against Brock’s extended zone defense. Outsized at almost every position, drives to the lane were adventurous and blocks were more likely than fouls.
Nocona instead tried to shoot over the zone when their players sniffed daylight thanks to ball movement. Lyndon Fenoglio made two of the team’s three 3-pointers in the first quarter.
It was not enough to keep up with the Eagles who led 24-11 heading into the second quarter.
The pace of scoring slowed down for both teams in the second quarter. The Indians had an even tougher time scoring with fewer 3-pointers going in. Nocona scored only two baskets in the quarter as the team fell further behind.
The Indians did pick it up on defense though. Nocona did a good job limiting Brock’s perimeter players from scoring.
Unfortunately, Jones continued to be an issue both inside and out. The Eagles led 37-16 at halftime and Jones had scored 22 of his teams points.
Things looked dire for Nocona down more than 20 points at halftime. The Indians could either fold over or continue to fight.
Nocona came out firing in the third quarter. The Indians played faster and more aggressive.
The team did a better job helping to stop Jones inside and limited him to only four points. Brock’s other players picked up the slack a bit, but Nocona made them earn most of those points with tough contests inside.
The Indians offense seemed to play a bit more loose, but also more locked in. Brady McCasland made two of his team’s three 3-pointers while the team also started earning some trips to the free throw line.
Nocona was making the hustle plays and outscored the Eagles 17-12 in the third quarter, enough to get the margin under 20 points 49-33 heading into the fourth quarter.
Brock’s offense got back on track scoring 24 points in the closing period. Nine different players scored one point as the game wore on and a miracle from the Indians looked unlikely.
Nocona again made three 3-pointers in the quarter and almost equaled their offensive output from the third quarter. Still, it was far from enough to get back into the game.
The two teams emptied their benches in the final minutes. Brock to get its JV kids some experience. Nocona to get their senior players one last run on the court. The Eagles won 73-38.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.