Dec 18, 2015 3 min read

Establishing an identity is something that the Washington High School boys basketball team has failed to do the first five games.

Aggressiveness and physicality can be scratched off the list of what exemplifies the Prexies for the 2015-16 season.

After being the less aggressive team at home again Friday night in a 67-62 loss to Bishop Canevin, the Prexies are continuing their search.

“We aren’t an aggressive basketball team and the word is out,” said Wash High head coach Ron Faust. “We have been inconsistent and continue to have a tough time trying to shape any offense against teams who play us physically.”

Toughness was only one of the problems that exposed Wash High (2-1, 2-4) as the Prexies were unable to defend three-point shots.

The Crusaders, who now sit in first place of Section 3-AA, were paced with shooting 10-of-23 from behind the arc, including five three-pointers from junior guard Kellan Gustine.

“We talked about (Bishop Canevin’s) three-point shooting coming into the game,” said Faust. “For whatever reason, we weren’t able to get out to their scoring threats on the perimeter. That is something we have to emphasize more.”

The need for Bishop Canevin to shoot from distance was magnified because of the loss of 6-6 senior forward John Weldon with an ankle sprain earlier in the year.

“That’s how we play,” said head coach Kevin Trost. “When we don’t have any big guys on the floor it is vital for us to be able to shoot. We have a lot of guys who can do that.”

After the Prexies matched Bishop Canevin (3-0, 5-1) in the second quarter to keep the deficit to only one point heading into halftime, the Crusaders extended their lead early in the third quarter to 10 points by way of two three-point shots from Justin Dix.

Both teams continued to trade baskets into the fourth quarter until two quick, back-to-back baskets by Bishop Canevin’s Mitchell King put the Crusaders up 52-45 with 5:22 remaining.

It was a deficit Wash High couldn’t erase.

King scored 12 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter after getting to the foul line nine times.

“Generally, in basketball, the more physical team wins,” said Trost. “We knew coming in that (Washington’s Nathan Swart) was going to be a handful and we didn’t have anyone to match him one-on-one. We had to defend him as a team.”

Swart, who was Wash High’s only inside presence for most of the evening, finished with 16 points before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.

“We have to be more consistent,” said Faust. “It teaches us over and over again that when the other team is more physical that we are, we don’t win. That’s been the record playing over and over again.”

However, losing on their home court is something the Prexies aren’t accustomed to, after going 7-1 last year.

“You have to score points and then your defense becomes a lot better,” said Faust. “We are just going to give other people more chances with personnel changes.”

A bright spot for the Prexies was bench player Isiah Robinson, who finished with 14 points.

Dix scored 17 points for Bishop Canevin, nine of which came from the three-point shot.

“It’s a huge win for us,” said Trost. “We have a ton of respect for this (Washington) program. Many teams don’t come in here and win, so that’s a big victory.