Trojans slam Bucs for 96-51 win
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — Wesleyan Christian continued its strong play of late and built some momentum heading into a challenging matchup in the state quarterfinals.
The fifth-seeded Trojans built a 20-point lead in the first half and continued to pull away in the second half to roar past 12th-seeded Charlotte Country Day 96-51 in the first round of the NCISAA 3A boys basketball playoffs Tuesday at Wesleyan.
Wesleyan, which ended the regular season with a big two-point win against No. 3 seed High Point Christian, will play fourth-seeded Ravenscroft (22-5) in the quarterfinals Thursday at 8:30 p.m. at tournament host Ravenscroft.
“We played well in spurts,” Trojans coach Keith Gatlin said. “We have to have a better effort Thursday to advance, and we understand that. But we’re getting better at the right time. We know what we can do when we come together as one. We’ve been doing that lately, and hopefully we can keep it up.”
Ian Steere scored 20 points to lead five double-figure scorers for Wesleyan (20-8), which sank 12 3-pointers for the game and led 39-18 at halftime. Michael Buckland, who hit four 3s, and David Caraher each followed with 16 points.
Jalen Johnson added 12 points and surpassed 1,000 points for his career.
The Trojans scored the final 16 points of the first quarter to lead 19-4 and then scored eight straight early in the second to lead 27-6 with 5:27 left. Leading by 21 into halftime, they then went on a 26-2 run in the third to lead by 42.
Wesleyan, which struggled with injuries during the regular season but now is close to full strength, stretched its lead to as large as 45 in the final two minutes.
“We started a little slow after a week off,” said Buckland, a Lipscomb recruit. “But we were able to get back into a rhythm, and I think we’ll come out ready to play Thursday. … It’s been a good homestretch coming into the playoffs, so we’ll just continue on with a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence in our game.”
Jack Vaughn scored 16 points to lead the Buccaneers (12-18), who trailed all but the opening 2:15 of the game. Christien Williams followed with 12 points, while Rylan McLaurin added nine points.
“We’re just trying to play better as a group and everybody take care of their assignments defensively,” Gatlin said. “This thing is so close this year that whoever can get hot at the right time can win it. We feel like we’ve corrected our mistakes over these last three weeks, and hopefully we can keep it up.”
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — Wesleyan Christian continued its strong play of late and built some momentum heading into a challenging matchup in the state quarterfinals.
The fifth-seeded Trojans built a 20-point lead in the first half and continued to pull away in the second half to roar past 12th-seeded Charlotte Country Day 96-51 in the first round of the NCISAA 3A boys basketball playoffs Tuesday at Wesleyan.
Wesleyan, which ended the regular season with a big two-point win against No. 3 seed High Point Christian, will play fourth-seeded Ravenscroft (22-5) in the quarterfinals Thursday at 8:30 p.m. at tournament host Ravenscroft.
“We played well in spurts,” Trojans coach Keith Gatlin said. “We have to have a better effort Thursday to advance, and we understand that. But we’re getting better at the right time. We know what we can do when we come together as one. We’ve been doing that lately, and hopefully we can keep it up.”
Ian Steere scored 20 points to lead five double-figure scorers for Wesleyan (20-8), which sank 12 3-pointers for the game and led 39-18 at halftime. Michael Buckland, who hit four 3s, and David Caraher each followed with 16 points.
Jalen Johnson added 12 points and surpassed 1,000 points for his career.
The Trojans scored the final 16 points of the first quarter to lead 19-4 and then scored eight straight early in the second to lead 27-6 with 5:27 left. Leading by 21 into halftime, they then went on a 26-2 run in the third to lead by 42.
Wesleyan, which struggled with injuries during the regular season but now is close to full strength, stretched its lead to as large as 45 in the final two minutes.
“We started a little slow after a week off,” said Buckland, a Lipscomb recruit. “But we were able to get back into a rhythm, and I think we’ll come out ready to play Thursday. … It’s been a good homestretch coming into the playoffs, so we’ll just continue on with a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence in our game.”
Jack Vaughn scored 16 points to lead the Buccaneers (12-18), who trailed all but the opening 2:15 of the game. Christien Williams followed with 12 points, while Rylan McLaurin added nine points.
“We’re just trying to play better as a group and everybody take care of their assignments defensively,” Gatlin said. “This thing is so close this year that whoever can get hot at the right time can win it. We feel like we’ve corrected our mistakes over these last three weeks, and hopefully we can keep it up.”
