SOUTH POINT – Coach Mark Lafon has settled on just one lesson plan for his South Point Pointers: learn to play defense.

Saturday, December 11, 1999

SOUTH POINT – Coach Mark Lafon has settled on just one lesson plan for his South Point Pointers: learn to play defense.

The second-year Pointers coach was visibly unhappy with his team’s defensive effort Friday in a 74-63 loss to the Marietta Tigers.

"When we learn how to play defense, we’ll be a decent team," said Lafon. "We’re scoring enough to win, but the day we start guarding people is the day we start to win."

The Pointers ability to drive to the basket the first half caused Marietta to foul. The Pointers took advantage of the situation and converted 17 of 22 free throws to help take a 37-34 lead.

But the second half belong to Marietta.

The Tigers (1-0) held a commanding 19-5 rebound advantage – seven offensive rebounds – and shot 13 of 26 from the field and 14 of 18 at the line.

South Point (1-2) was just 8 of 24 from the floor the second half for 33 percent.

"I blame myself," Lafon said. "I’ve been too easy on them because they’re so young. We’re not playing hard and it’s because I’ve been too easy on them."

Farr had 20 points and nine rebounds to lead the Tigers. Cale Arnold had 16 points, Gucci Olayvar 15, and Steven Sutton added 12 off the bench.

Jarred Perdue had 15 points to lead three players in double figures. Shane Holsinger and Brian Cremeans had 13 each, and B. J. Ferrell added 10. Perdue also had six rebounds.

The Pointers trailed much of the first half although they were up 19-18 on a foul shot by Willie Anderson with 10 seconds left in the first quarter. Aaron Sutton hit a 3-pointer just before the buzzer to put Marietta ahead 21-19.

The game was tied four times early in the second quarter and then South Point went up 28-27 on a foul shot by Cremeans at the 3:19 mark. The lead changed hands twice until a 3-pointer by Holsinger keyed a 9-3 run to finish the half and put South Point up 37-34.

The game remained close the third quarter and then Olayvar and Chris Lupardus hit back-to-back layups to end the period with Marietta in front 49-47.

Farr followed up a missed shot, Olayvar made a layup, and Arnold made the second of two foul shots as the Tigers took their biggest lead of the game at 56-49 with 4:45 to play.

A 3-pointers by Holsinger got the Pointers within 57-55 at the 2:33 mark, but a baseline jumper by Farr with 1:50 left pushed the lead to 64-59 and Marietta converted all 10 foul shots the final 1:09 to seal the win.