The Nation Ford Falcons basketball teams swept the Northwestern Trojans in their home opener of the season Monday night.
The Nation Ford boys won a back-and-forth game against the Trojans getting a 66-62 victory to improve to 3-0 on the season.
“I feel like we are heading in a good direction,” said Nation Ford head coach Charles Brown. “There are some things we need to button up on. They were more physical than us. We have to figure out how to keep our toughness.”
Nation Ford opened the game starting hot in the first quarter forcing Northwestern to take a timeout early after jumping out to a 7-2 lead all coming off the shooting of Jackson Burnham.
The Trojans rallied to tie the game at 10 near the end of the first quarter. Nation Ford did start struggling with turnovers as the quarter progressed giving Northwestern extra opportunities as they took a 15-10 lead after the period ended.
Northwestern did a good job of getting second chance opportunities in the second quarter. Burnham and Ben Chuttey were able to rally the Falcons with the help of 3-pointers and scoring in transition. That allowed Nation Ford to take a 27-22 lead into the half.
The Falcons kept their foot on the gas in the second half as they started the third quarter on a 7-0 run to go up 34-22.
Every time the Trojans would make a push, Nation Ford would answer as turnovers allowed Northwestern to stay within striking distance.
The Falcons started the fourth quarter with a very slim 43-39 lead. Burnham was able to give Nation Ford some breathing room as he paced the offense scoring 11 points in the quarter. He had 31 in the game to lead Nation Ford. Chuttey added 11 points and Chase Waters scored 10 points for the Falcons as well.
Lady Falcons get first win
The Nation Ford girls team grabbed their first win of the season to improve to 1-2 with a 48-24 win over Northwestern.
“They are improving day to day,” said Nation Ford head coach Kelly Bennett. “They accept where we are. They came out prepared today.”
The Falcons started strong going up 5-0 on Northwestern to open the game. Nation Ford used their speed to get to the basket and gain an early edge.
Nation Ford’s offense slowed down after the initial surge. While the shot opportunities were there, the Falcons didn’t convert as easily. Nation Ford did end the quarter on a 5-0 run to go up 15-6 after the opening eight minutes.
Nation Ford used its long-range shooting from Aubrey Morrow to extend their lead in the second quarter. The Falcons struggled some with turnovers in the quarter, but it didn’t hurt as much as it could have as they took a 25-9 lead into the locker room at the half.
Northwestern opened the second half on a 7-0 run as Nation Ford missed their first four shots. Poor shooting and turnovers allowed the Trojans to climb back into the game. Northwestern pulled within seven points with about two minutes left in the quarter, but Nation Ford was able to go on a 5-0 run to again push their lead out making it 35-20.
Nation Ford pulled away in the fourth quarter as Jalyn Bennett scored six of her 10 points in the quarter. The Falcons outscored Northwestern 14-2 in the final period. Morrow led Nation Ford with 13 points.
Nation Ford will now turn their attention to Catawba Ridge who they host Tuesday, Dec. 5.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
