It’s been a successful first half of the season for the Lindbergh boys basketball team. The Flyers are currently 10-1 on the season, with just one loss over winter break.
Head coach Nathan Biggs said his team played hard at the recent Coaches vs. Cancer tournament over the holiday break.
“I felt like we have consistently played very hard and inspired this season,” Biggs said. “This was true over break as well. We were able to come out on top against three good teams and we lost a very close one to one of the better teams in the area in De Smet. Our defensive intensity throughout the break has us feeling good going into the new year.”
The Flyers earned wins over Parkway West, Eureka and Westminster at the tournament. The lone loss to De Smet, 52-45, was a back-and-forth affair until the final quarter. In the fourth quarter, De Smet outscored Lindbergh 10-4 to grab the victory.
“De Smet was able to gain a lead right at the end of the third quarter,” Biggs said. “We have to give credit to them, they got a lead and maintained it throughout the fourth. We struggled to score during the fourth quarter due to too many turnovers. We did a nice job of getting defensive stops but couldn’t get over the hump to come back and close it out.”
Quinn Sunderland had 19 points in the loss, while Zac Goss added 16 points. The duo have quietly become two of the top players in the county. Goss is averaging 16.5 points per game, while Sunderland is averaging just over 13 points a game. He’s also grabbing nearly 10 rebounds per game.
“Goss and Quinn have both played very important roles so far this year,” Biggs said. “The energy that Goss brings every day sets the tone in both practice and games. He often guards the other team’s best player, brings the ball up the floor, and contributes quite a bit on the offensive side – all while playing 28-plus minutes a game.”
Biggs also spoke highly of Sunderland’s play.
“Quinn has really established himself these past few years as a great rim protector on the defensive side of things,” he said. “This year, he has developed his skills on the offensive side by improving his balance in the post, growing his touch around the basket and expanding his range beyond the paint.”
While the pair are leading the way, Biggs was quick to point out that there are several other players who are contributing to the Flyers’ success.
“Even though Goss and Quinn play very important roles on our team, we are fortunate that we have a great deal of depth and a roster full of guys who play very hard,” he said. “We have a nice mixture of senior leadership along with good, young talent, all of which compete at a high level in both practice and games. It is true that we would not be the same team without Goss and Quinn playing the roles that they have been, and we would not be the same without the depth of hard-working guys that we are also fortunate to have this year.”
While the Flyers are playing well, Biggs said the team will continue to improve as the season wears on.
“Every day we emphasize improvement,” he said. “We want to be at our best at the end of February, not Jan. 1 … we need to do a better job of securing rebounds with two hands to eliminate second-chance points, we need to minimize unforced turnovers and maintain our defensive intensity.”
