Slow starts, but a big win for MODE Prep
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 3 months AGO
Photo by NICOLE SIMON Matt Cummins (3) of MODE Prep drives to the basket against The Star Academy of Italy last weekend in a GrindSession Power Division tournament in Torrance, Calif.
MODE Prep of Liberty Lake notched its first victory over a Power Division team last weekend at the GrindSession-Los Angeles tournament held in Torrance, Calif.
The Power Division is the top division in the GrindSession. MODE Prep, a first-year prep school program, is in the second division (the Elevation Division), but this was MODE Prep's second consecutive Power Division tournament.
MØDE posted a 1-1 record at the event, beating Star Alliance from Italy on Saturday, 62-59.
MØDE got off to a slow start, falling behind Star Alliance 17-9 after the first quarter and 30-21 at halftime. But MØDE got going in the third, sparked by Alassane Doucoure on both the offensive and defensive end. MØDE took its first lead, 52-51, with 4 minutes left in the fourth and never lost it.
Doucoure finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Rayan Elghaly chipped in 13 points and six assists. Matt Cummins had nine points, 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals.
On Sunday, MØDE fell 86-66 to DNA Prep Academy from nearby Chatsworth, Calif. Doucoure scored 22 points, Elghaly 13 points in the loss.
"We have to learn how to get out of the gates faster," said MØDE head coach Jon Adams, the former Coeur d'Alene High boys basketball coach. "I'm proud how we stayed focused and methodically chipped away at Star Alliance's lead and then icing away the game with good possessions and trips to the free-throw line. But you can't get behind teams like DNA Prep, who shoot the lights out. We still need better defensive effort, especially on the perimeter. We'll get back to it this week and clean some things up."
MØDE was supposed to play in Orlando, Fla., next weekend, but that tournament was canceled. MODE will try to add a couple regional games to the schedule before heading to the GrindSession Elevation Division National Tournament held in Bowling Green, Kent., March 6-9.