Second half is a tough one for Bucs

KINGSTON — Aaron Lawrence has David’s size and Goliath’s heart and it shows on the basketball court. The Kingston High School’s varsity boys basketball player, all 5 feet, 5 inches of him, managed to sink 18 points during the Buccaneer’s home 86-48 loss to Fife (Tacoma) on Jan. 8.

And yes, he always plays like that.

The game was close at the half, with the Bucs leading 31-30. In the second half, the Fife Trojans dominated, outscoring them 56 to 17.

It’s been a rocky first year for the Bucs, who have started with a 0-8 record and are still searching for that first elusive win. For now, Coach Tim Olson is satisfied with his team’s continuous progress. He saw major headway in what he described as a “really intense” practice prior to the game.

“We’re just beginning to understand the roles on the team. We’re struggling with consistency,” he said.

He thinks the key to their first victory will be playing strong until the last buzzer.

“It’s a 32-minute game. We played well for 16 minutes,” he said.

It will also help matters to have senior guard Jack Clearman back on the court. Clearman had to sit out a majority of Tuesday night’s game with an ice pack on his hand. Clearman, who’s been battling a thumb injury all year, started the game, but his thumb was bothering him so badly that he had to be benched after scoring only three points.

“He’s taking things day-to-day,” Olson said.

While the Bucs are still struggling to find their groove on the court, there is one area that they’ve got down pat: they play with heart.

“I’ve never once questioned their intensity or heart. I know they’re giving me everything they’ve got,” Olson said.

Lawrence is a prime example of a player with heart.

“He plays a lot bigger than he is,” Olson said of the scrappy sophomore. “He has the heart of a lion.”

Lawrence doesn’t see his height as a disadvantage on the court. To him, there’s no difference between him and the Fife players, no matter the shortest Fife player on the roster towered a full six inches above Lawrence.

“I just come out ready to play. I play as if all people are as small as me,” he said.

On the other hand, being smaller does lend a certain stealth quality Lawrence readily takes advantage of.

“I can weave through people easier,” he said.

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