PHC had their first home game against Northern Virginia Community College on Wednesday night. NOVA came ready to play right off the tip, gaining an early 11-4 lead.
The Sentinels, however, were able to go on a run with the help of a roaring crowd and led 18-17 in the middle of the first half. NOVA bounced back with another run of their own, closing the half in charge, 35-25.
In the second half, the team’s adored mascot, Cincinnatus, made an appearance to hype the crowd up even more. PHC superfan, Ty Everman, said that the crowd gave their all, which could be felt as their booming voices filled the gym and vibrated the hardwood. PHC kept NOVA within distance throughout the half and was able to close the gap to five late in the game. That was the closest it got, however, as turnovers destroyed scoring opportunities and once again proved to be the main reason why they lost. If the Sentinels are going to have a winning record this season, they are going to need to take better care of the ball.
On the other hand, the best part about the Sentinel’s game was how they controlled the glass, grabbing 42 rebounds compared to the taller NOVA’s 25. Point guard, John Larter, and forward, Rob Canfield, also both shot 50% from deep, but it was matched by NOVA player, Corey Caulker (#5), who had three triples of his own and a total of 22 points. The scoring for PHC was evenly split, with six players scoring over 9 points, and Canfield as the leading scorer with 14. Overall, this was an exciting home opener against a solid team, and despite starting out the season 0-2, the Sentinels are confident that they will make a statement in the upcoming game on Saturday against Crown College.
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