GOATS suffer first loss of the season in Tempe at the hands of Get Buckets or Drown

Malik Roundtree

When Christian Bower was able to draft Adam Bickerstaff in Tempe and Gilbert this season, there was a general assumption that those two teams would be two of the best in all of UH Arizona. That assumption was correct heading into Week 4 of the Tempe Draft League, as they were 7-0 through three weeks in both leagues.

Unfortunately for the GOATS, Bickerstaff injured his ankle over the weekend and will be out for a “few weeks”. In their first game without Bickerstaff, the GOATS got trounced by Get Buckets or Drown, losing their first game of the season 89-60.

Get Buckets or Drown dominated in two facets of the game: shooting and rebounding. They shot 51% from the field compared to the GOATS’ 35%, while they out-rebounded the GOATS 58 to 30. Every starter for Get Buckets or Drown had at least 10 points, eight rebounds and shot at least 50% from the field, showcasing their balance and dominance in this game.

Malik Roundtree was the star of the game, as he had 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists while shooting 12-22 from the field.

While the GOATS lost by 29, Bower was still as good as his typical self, as he had 26 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals while shooting 9-16 from the field. Every other player for the GOATS shot 33% from the field or worse.

The GOATS losing may have been the headline, but Get Buckets or Drown deserve a bunch of credit, as this win puts them to 4-0 this season. Joseph Morris was interviewed by Chris Walker after the win, and Morris said this was not a surprise for him and his teammates.

“It feels good. It feels like exactly where we knew we were going to be. We knew it was going to be like this, we drafted great, we prepared for this, they slept on it and they’re about to wake up now,” Morris said.

We’ll see how they’re going to be able to perform in the second half of the season now that the rest of the league has woken up.