Rochester was within one against Castle Rock in the fourth quarter on Wednesday, but a late Rocket run was enough to down the Warriors 53-40.
Rochester led 14-11 after the first quarter, but they didn’t score a point in the second and went into the locker room down 18-14.
“We’ve been working on a different press, and they made better coverages,” Rochester assistant coach Kyle Ratkie said. “We couldn’t make a bucket. Got punched in the mouth again, and they bounced back.”
They did in the third, getting back within three, and early in the fourth, Rochester trailed by just one.
“Castle Rock got a few shots, we turned the ball over a few times, and we couldn’t get back into it,” Ratkie said. “The effort was great. It’s slowly but surely getting better each time.”
Tyson Canales led the Warriors with 13 points, and Isaac Derrick scored 10. Emmitt Mancuso logged seven, and Clayton Knutson finished with five.
Despite the loss, Rochester’s fifth in a row, Ratkie is confident that they’ll improve from how it played out.
“Even the late game possessions, understanding every possession matters,” Ratkie said. “That’s something we learn as time goes on. Hopefully we get a ‘W’ here soon.”
The Warriors (0-5) will be back at home on Friday to host Centralia.
