The Nansemond River High School boys’ basketball team had never lost three in a row under coach Ed Young until this season, and Friday’s game against host Smithfield High School added on another one.

The Packers handed the Warriors their fourth consecutive loss, this one coming with an 81-57 final score.

Young stated it was “maybe our worst overall performance this year as we had moments where our frustration showed with our lack of production.”

Smithfield started the game on an 8-0 run before the Warriors settled down and made the score 20-15 at the end of the first quarter.

The Packers benefited from going 10-for-11 from the foul line. They continued their strong free throw shooting throughout the game, ending up 27-for-36, equaling 75 percent.

Smithfield took a 42-28 lead into halftime and then dominated in the third quarter.

Young stated his team “experienced a total meltdown at both ends of the floor as Smithfield hit on 11-of-14 shots, and the Warriors were 3-13.”

Smithfield hit 50 percent of its shots and out-rebounded the Warriors 41-22 for the game.

Nansemond River has been out-rebounded 123-68 in its last five games.

Junior Josh Covington continued his leading scorer ways for the Warriors as he had 16 points and added four assists, three steals and three rebounds. Senior Matt Allmond had nine points.

Young stated his players need to do a better job moving their feet on defense, because they have given opponents 110 free throws during the current four-game losing streak, while the Warriors have shot 86 in that stretch.

He highlighted the symbiotic relationship of the Warriors’ defense and offense, as one fuels the other. Therefore, bad play on defense leads to bad play on offense.

“Our last four opponents have much better athletes than our first four opponents had,” he stated.

He also noted his team is not getting many second shot opportunities, while its opponents are getting two, three and sometimes even four chances to shoot in a single possession.

“We are not in a good basketball frame of mind right now,” Young stated, adding that he has told his players the team needs to be good later on in the season, but it must show improvement in the meantime. “That was not evident in this game.”

“Maybe the week of no games coming up will allow us to get more work on individual skill work as we back off game planning until we go to South Carolina,” he continued.

The Warriors (4-4, 0-2) will be participating in the McBee Holiday Tournament in McBee, S.C., on Dec. 29 and 30. They first play Central High School out of Pageland, S.C., on Dec. 29 at 6 p.m.