With the postseason quickly approaching, Friendship Technical College made another move in the right direction Thursday in Southeast D.C. with a 68-23 home victory over Friendship College. The Titans improved to 11-4, while the Knights fell to 4-11.
“This is a time where we want to continue to grow and start playing our best basketball heading into February,” Shackleford said. “I thought they took a step toward that tonight.”
Senior Joevari Parsons, who was designated by Coach Shackleford as the Titans' “unsung hero” throughout the first two months of the season, recognized how far the Titans have come since the start of the season. Parsons, the team's defensive leader and one of only three seniors on the roster, has watched his teammates get used to switching to defense and bringing in rotations.
That collective confidence was on full display Thursday. The Titans led by 20 points at halftime and allowed just six points in the second half. Malik Shackleford, David Bumpass and Daniel Bumpass all scored in double figures and each made three 3-pointers.
“We really just played our game,” Parsons said. “We moved the ball, really relied on our team chemistry and really just did what we had to do to get the win.”
The Titans know the task ahead will be difficult in order to achieve their goal of winning a state title. No. 2 Gonzaga, No. 3 Jackson Reed, No. 7 Sidwell Friends and No. 9 St. John's will all be on the same team. The prize they seek. But as they continue to improve, they become more and more confident in their chances.
