Trailblazers Focus on Trust, Intensity as Regular Season Nears End

GODFREY, Ill. — With just two games remaining in the regular season, the Lewis and Clark Community College Trailblazers men's basketball team is focused on finishing strong and building on the growth it has shown throughout the year.

Head coach Kavon Lacey said the team's biggest development since the start of the season has been learning to trust one another,  a quality that often takes time to establish.

"We have grown in many areas throughout the season," Lacey said. "I would say the biggest area of growth has been trusting each other. It is kind of hard to have and build at the start of the season, and I feel the teams that can have it sooner than later are the teams that get the most out of each other. I feel we have made huge gains in that area."

As the season winds down, the urgency in practice has remained steady. Lacey emphasized that while certain drills may be shortened to preserve players' legs late in the year, the intensity has not wavered.

"Our practice intensity is always high," he said. "We know that late in the year we have to keep the intensity high, but the time is just cut back on certain drills."

The final home game will carry added significance for the team's sophomores, who will be competing on their home floor for the last time. Lacey noted the leadership and responsibility placed on that group throughout the season.

"I think it means a lot," Lacey said. "We ask a lot of our sophomores from the standpoint of leadership and guidance. For them to have a chance to give it all they have one last time on their home floor will be special."

To secure victories in the final two matchups, Lacey said the Trailblazers must focus on consistency at both ends of the floor.

"Defensively, we have to put stops together and not give the opponent easy baskets," he said. "Offensively, we have to score consistently. We cannot have segments where we don't score for three or four minutes at a time. We must focus on executing and making the right plays to score the ball."

With trust strengthened, intensity sustained and motivation high, Lewis and Clark looks to close the regular season with momentum and send its sophomores out on a strong note.

Written by: Alexandra Dunn, Athletics Social Media Coordinator