The Burlington School boys knock off top recruit, reach state championship
ASHEVILLE - The Burlington School will get another shot at the team that dealt the Spartans their only defeat this season.
The Burlington School thrashed Fayetteville Trinity Christian 66-43 on Friday night in a semifinal of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association Class 1-A state playoffs at Asheville Christian School.
The result means The Burlington School (30-1) faces Charlotte Victory Christian tonight in the NCISAA Class 1-A state championship at Asheville School. Victory Christian beat the Spartans 44-42 on Dec. 20 in the championship of the Greenfield Holiday Tournament.
Romeao Ferguson led the Spartans with 20 points, five rebounds and three steals against Trinity Christian (23-9). John Meeks added 14 points and five rebounds.
Ferguson and Meeks were two of four players with The Burlington School to connect on two 3-pointers. Raekwon Villines and T.J. Jeffers also connected on a pair of long-range shots each, with Terry Woods and R.J. Turner also hitting 3s to bring the team's total to 10.
Jeffers also recorded five assists.
The Burlington School jumped out to a 36-16 lead by halftime.
Dennis Smith Jr. - a junior whose offer list already includes Duke and North Carolina, among other top-level programs - scored eight points for Trinity Christian. He was 2-for-8 from the free-throw line and was assessed a technical foul.
Johnson said holding Smith was a matter of team defense and a half-court trapping approach.
"He's one of the top 10 juniors in the country. The fact we were able to hold him to eight was pretty good," Johnson said. "Our guys did a good job of executing our defense.
"They try to turn you over, they want to play really fast. We tried to slow them down by running a little halfcourt trap. We were able to do that took them out of their rhythm."
Alonzo Tyson, a High Point recruit, led Trinity Christian with 15 points.
On Thursday night, there was no rust for The Burlington School in its first game of the state playoffs.
The Spartans rolled through Wayne Country Day by 73-49 in the quarterfinals of the Class 1-A state tournament, which were delayed a week by wintry weather.
R.J. Turner led The Burlington School with 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Sae'Quahn Rogers added 10 points, while John Meeks, Draven Crist and Jordan Nelson scored eight points apiece.
The Spartans used a 22-6 advantage in the second quarter to break the game open, and led 56-27 after three quarters.
Joel Davis led Wayne Country Day with 11 points.
ASHEVILLE - The Burlington School will get another shot at the team that dealt the Spartans their only defeat this season.
The Burlington School thrashed Fayetteville Trinity Christian 66-43 on Friday night in a semifinal of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association Class 1-A state playoffs at Asheville Christian School.
The result means The Burlington School (30-1) faces Charlotte Victory Christian tonight in the NCISAA Class 1-A state championship at Asheville School. Victory Christian beat the Spartans 44-42 on Dec. 20 in the championship of the Greenfield Holiday Tournament.
Romeao Ferguson led the Spartans with 20 points, five rebounds and three steals against Trinity Christian (23-9). John Meeks added 14 points and five rebounds.
Ferguson and Meeks were two of four players with The Burlington School to connect on two 3-pointers. Raekwon Villines and T.J. Jeffers also connected on a pair of long-range shots each, with Terry Woods and R.J. Turner also hitting 3s to bring the team's total to 10.
Jeffers also recorded five assists.
The Burlington School jumped out to a 36-16 lead by halftime.
Dennis Smith Jr. - a junior whose offer list already includes Duke and North Carolina, among other top-level programs - scored eight points for Trinity Christian. He was 2-for-8 from the free-throw line and was assessed a technical foul.
Johnson said holding Smith was a matter of team defense and a half-court trapping approach.
"He's one of the top 10 juniors in the country. The fact we were able to hold him to eight was pretty good," Johnson said. "Our guys did a good job of executing our defense.
"They try to turn you over, they want to play really fast. We tried to slow them down by running a little halfcourt trap. We were able to do that took them out of their rhythm."
Alonzo Tyson, a High Point recruit, led Trinity Christian with 15 points.
On Thursday night, there was no rust for The Burlington School in its first game of the state playoffs.
The Spartans rolled through Wayne Country Day by 73-49 in the quarterfinals of the Class 1-A state tournament, which were delayed a week by wintry weather.
R.J. Turner led The Burlington School with 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Sae'Quahn Rogers added 10 points, while John Meeks, Draven Crist and Jordan Nelson scored eight points apiece.
The Spartans used a 22-6 advantage in the second quarter to break the game open, and led 56-27 after three quarters.
Joel Davis led Wayne Country Day with 11 points.
