By GEORGE THWAITES
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
MONTCALM — Despite undergoing some key personnel changes in mid-season, Narrows head basketball coach Greg Robertson remains focused on his philosophy.
Change may be constant, but defense is eternal.
Chase Lawson scored 22 points and Narrows raided Montcalm for a 59-37 win on Thursday night.
“We’re just digging deep. Defense wins ballgames,” said Robertson. “All season if our team wins, it’s been won defensively. I’m proud of these boys tonight. They played hard-nosed defense.”
With junior Cole Blaker having been lost for the season due to knee surgery, the senior Lawson is the most effective ‘big’ the Green Wave has to work with. He was certainly a horse on Thursday.
“We’re having juniors stepping up. They’re boxing out and rebounding and stepping up and scoring points. So it’s nice having a little bit of help,” said Lawson, who had seven rebounds. “We just try to play our game ... really good team basketball. Whoever’s having a good night scoring, we try to get it to them. That’s what it’s all about. Good team ball.”
He got some immediate help from Giles transfer Gavin Pruett, who scored 11 points and five rebounds. Pruett, a sophomore, started the season with the Spartans but his parents subsequently moved to Narrows.
Steven Dunford scored nine points for the Green Wave (10-9), despite weathering a couple of player control fouls.
Guard Brady Patteson scored eight points, he and his brother Landon disrupting the Generals battle plays with a spate of steals and deflections.
Zack Coeburn scored 12 points for Montcalm (2-13), which trailed 14-9 after the first period. Thanks to a late backcourt steal and layup from Trevor Poynter, the Generals only trailed 31-17 at the half.
Montcalm started the third period with a solid defensive effort. But Narrows was giving the same and eventually solved the riddle and achieved separation.
“They’re pretty good. They’re athletic. And we shot terrible from the field,” said Montcalm head coach Matt Smith, “That’s a credit to them. They played good defense and took us out of our rhythm early and we never recovered from that.”
Montcalm lost 55-52 at Narrows.
“That’s why it’s so disappointing that we came out so flat tonight,” Smith said.
“Right now we’re riding third place in Conference 45. It’s comfortable but we’ve got to get a couple of wins next week,” said Robertson.
Narrows goes to Bland County on Monday, has Graham at home on Wednesday and Rural Retreat at home on Friday. Montcalm plays Jamie Darren on Tuesday, Meadow Bridge on Thursday and Van on Friday — all three at Montcalm.

At Montcalm High School
NARROWS (10-9)
Landon Patteson 2 0-1 5, Brady Patteson 4 0-1 8, Austin Evans 1 0-1 2, Jacob Cumbee 1 0-1 2, Brandon Ramos 0 0-0 0, Morgan Welch 0 0-0 0, Steven Dunford 4 0-0 9, Chase Lawson 87 8-11 22, Turner 0 0-0 0, Gavin Pruett 5 0-2 11. Totals 24 8-17 59.
MONTCALM (2-13)
Trent Jenkins 3 1-2 7, Trevor Poyner 2 0-0 5, Jared Janutolo 0 0-2 0, Dakota Parnell 0 0-0 0, Craig Casto 3 1-2 7, B. Taylor 0 0-0 0, Zack Coeburn 5 0-0 12, Cody Farmer 2 0-0 4. Totals 15 2-6 35.
Narrows....................14 17 11 17 — 59
Montcalm...................4 13 11 9 — 37
3-point goals: Narrows 3 (L. Patteson, Dunford, Pruett), Montcalm 3 (Poynter, Coeburn 2).