“We played OK today. We could’ve done better,” Chaney guard Cameron Lawrence said. “Some people stepped up. It wasn’t good, but we got the win.”

Coming off a nailbiting win against Harding, playing consistently was the issue for the Cowboys, according to coach Marlon McGaughy. The team had a habit of taking plays off against the Golden Bears.

“We played well in spurts,” McGaughy said. “The team needs to understand that they need to show up every night. They take time off and don’t play hard each and every play, so we’re trying to get that together right now.”

As for improving on that consistency, it all starts on the days without games.

Staff photo / Brad Yauger Reuben Talley (11) of East looks for an open teammate while trying to get past Chaney’s Quincy Jones.

“It starts with practice,” McGaughy said. “We’ve been having some pretty bad practices due to injury… we’ll get better at it.”

Despite the lack of consistency, the Cowboys had no issues filling the net. Clive Wilson led the team with 16 points and William Brown finished with 14.

For the Golden Bears, Xavion Leonard put up a game-high 22 points and John Clay added 16 points.

East was given some praise by McGaughy, who knows that no matter what, that team is going to fight. He wants his team to match that intensity every time they step on the court.

“They’ve got a young team,” McGaughy said. “I’m trying to stress to the players that they are going to play hard each and every night for (Golden Bears coach) Kevin (Cylar), it doesn’t matter. No matter what, they’re going to play hard.”

Staff photo / Brian Yauger Chaney guard Cameron Lawrence drives the net while being guarded by Reuben Talley.

Lawrence finished the game with 15 points. The individual numbers don’t satisfy him as long as the team isn’t playing up to his standards. The junior cares far more about wins.

“I’m a lot more focused on the team, we’ve got to get better,” he said. “I feel like this was a trap game because we had a lot of momentum after we beat Warren. We won, but we could’ve done better.”

With the season in full swing and nearing the halfway point, teams are beginning to think about the postseason as well as the games on their schedule. For Chaney to repeat the success of last season and eclipse that mark, adjustments need to be made.

“We need to play more team ball and have more drive on defense,” McGaughy said.

Drive and focus are the two keys for Chaney going forward. The team is starting to gel, so the Cowboys think an increase in focus will give them the extra push they need.

“We just need to lock in more,” Lawrence said. “Our chemistry is clicking, it’s getting a lot better. That’s the main thing, chemistry and defense. Once we click on chemistry we’ll be alright.”

The Cowboys’ next chance to do that comes in another crosstown matchup against Cardinal Mooney and then Canfield afterward to kick off the new year.