Randleman Tigers transition to basketball, pass first test

Randleman’s Connor Cassidy goes to the basket in front of Providence Grove’s Will Dabbs, left, and Gabe McKoy during a game last week. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record)

CLIMAX — There was no easing into the season for Randleman’s boys’ basketball team last week.

Just days after the school’s football season ended, the Tigers were on the basketball court against a neighboring rival.

“I think it was good to get tested early on in the season, for sure,” Randleman senior Connor Cassidy said. “Especially coming right off of football.”

It’s a season in transition for Randleman, which is coming off a 23-2 season.

There are no guarantees for the Tigers, but there’s enough returning players to make a difference.

So landing in a tussle with host Providence Grove was enough to get their attention, prevailing 65-59.

“Close games, it’s better if you have them earlier because it allows you to prepare more for them,” Randleman senior Pacey Wagner said. “You get to see what works and what doesn’t.”

It certainly wasn’t smooth, but that wasn’t the expectation.

“Especially coming off of football, we knew we were going to be sloppy,” Cassidy said.

All except two of coach Daniel Mitchell’s basketball players were on Randleman’s football team. Providence Grove had a selection of players making the same transition from the end of its football season.

Randleman led most of the first half, with Nazir Staton’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer in transition making it 36-32 at the break.

The Tigers had a tough time keeping track of Providence Grove’s Cam Jones for stretches of the game.

Jones hit a 3-pointer for a 45-44 lead, but Wagner countered with a basket to put Randleman up going to the fourth quarter.

Cassidy had been powering into the lane with spotty results as the Tigers looked bogged down on offense. Then tied at 57-57, he was free at the top of the key and launched a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:10 remaining.

“I had to think about it for a second. I hadn’t been playing my best game. especially being at football,” Cassidy said. “I knew I was open so I knew I had to shoot it. We weren’t really getting that many great looks at the time.”

Randleman led the rest of the way, but the Tigers new they were in a tussle. They’re planning to get used to those types of games.

“The guys on our team really understand that and that’s something that we’ve really worked on in the summer,” Wagner said. “We could walk in and beat them by 30 because we had all the athletes. But now we’re not as tall, we’re not as athletic, we’re not as fast. We’re not as talented, but I think we’re a lot smarter of a team and that kind of gives us an upper hand.”

Cassidy said there’s experience to rely on. And the Tigers had to overcome Brandon Boone’s foul trouble in their opener.

“We do got a lot of seniors who can step up and be leaders,” Cassidy said. “It will be a little different. We just got to find some leaders.”

Mitchell said it was a matter of figuring it out on the fly to some degree against the Patriots.

“Had to count on the guys who have played a lot,” he said. “We lost so much scoring (from last season).”

Jackson Cook’s 16 points led Randleman, while Cassidy finished with 15 and Staton had 13.

Gabe McKoy’s 19 points paced the Patriots, with Jones supplying 15 points and Will Dabbs adding 14 points.

The first game of the season for both teams certainly got the adrenalin flowing.

“Just a little cross-county rivalry. It’s all good basketball. We all love each other,” Wagner said. “When we get on the court, we play hard and we compete. That’s really fun. You love to see those games, you love those.”