Wesleyan boys, girls go for crowns
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
CHARLOTTE — The Wesleyan Christian boys are back in the state championship for the fourth time in five years, while the girls will play for a state title for the first time in 25 years.The second-seeded Wesleyan boys made a couple difference-making plays in the final three minutes to overtake third-seeded Providence Day 75-69 in the semifinals of the NCISAA 3A boys state playoffs Friday at Charlotte Country Day.
In the girls game, second-seeded Wesleyan built a double-digit lead early and rolled past sixth-seeded Greensboro Day 53-26 to reach the state championship game for the first time since 1992 — its only other appearance.
“We’ll take the win — thank God for that,” Trojans boys coach Keith Gatlin said. “Obviously, it’s like a home game for them. So, we knew it was going to be a tough environment, and their guards are very talented. But we got some stops at the end when we needed them. So, thank God for the win.
“We just got some stops,” he said of the final three minutes. “Their guards are very talented and they got downhill on us. We just went to a zone and got some stops.... David was huge. When he gets his feet set, he can knock it down with the best of them.”
David Caraher scored 29 points to lead Wesleyan (28-4), which will face top-seeded Greensboro Day in the state championship at noon at Charlotte Latin. Jaylen Hoard added 20 points, while Ian Steere followed with eight points.
Wesleyan, which led by as many as eight in the first half, led 36-32 at halftime. But the Chargers, the defending state champions, quickly jumped ahead six 2 ½ minutes into the third quarter and led 56-53 heading to the fourth.
The Trojans trailed by one, 66-65, with 3:11 left but took the lead for good when Caraher hit a 3 from the right wing with 2:34 left to lead by two and on the next possession, after having his first attempt knocked away, recovered the loose ball and scored with 1:23 left to lead 70-66 with 1:23 left.
“We had some big plays from everybody — Brendan Austin, Jaylen Hoard, Khyre Thompson,” Caraher said. “All those guys just had big-time performances. Rebounds, blocks, steals — I think it’s just the heart. We just played with our hearts and willed a way to come out with a win.
“I had an open shot and I shot it — I practice that shot a lot,” he said of his two key baskets. “Montay Brandon (who starred at Wesleyan and Florida State) has been working with me, and we’ve been practicing that shot a lot. The last one, I really just got lucky. It rolled to me and I just put it in the basket.
“It was really huge, because plays like that win basketball games. All my teammates made plays like that tonight. And it’s just plays like that — those little plays like that might not show up in the boxscore and fans might not recognize — that win basketball games.”
Wesleyan inched away with three free throws to lead 73-66 with 35.7 seconds left and held Providence Day (23-11), which was led by Devon Dotson with 32 points and Trey Wertz with 19 points, to just a 3 in its final four possessions.
“This is familiar territor y — it’s our fourth year here,” Gatlin said of moving on to the title game. “So, it’s a blessing. We want to represent the school well and just keep going. ... Greensboro Day is obviously ver y familiar. It’s great for our conference to have both teams.
“The first two times we didn’t score the ball against them. If we can score the ball and play somewhat to our normal game with Jaylen and Aaron (Wiggins) playing well, then we like our chances.”
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
CHARLOTTE — The Wesleyan Christian boys are back in the state championship for the fourth time in five years, while the girls will play for a state title for the first time in 25 years.The second-seeded Wesleyan boys made a couple difference-making plays in the final three minutes to overtake third-seeded Providence Day 75-69 in the semifinals of the NCISAA 3A boys state playoffs Friday at Charlotte Country Day.
In the girls game, second-seeded Wesleyan built a double-digit lead early and rolled past sixth-seeded Greensboro Day 53-26 to reach the state championship game for the first time since 1992 — its only other appearance.
“We’ll take the win — thank God for that,” Trojans boys coach Keith Gatlin said. “Obviously, it’s like a home game for them. So, we knew it was going to be a tough environment, and their guards are very talented. But we got some stops at the end when we needed them. So, thank God for the win.
“We just got some stops,” he said of the final three minutes. “Their guards are very talented and they got downhill on us. We just went to a zone and got some stops.... David was huge. When he gets his feet set, he can knock it down with the best of them.”
David Caraher scored 29 points to lead Wesleyan (28-4), which will face top-seeded Greensboro Day in the state championship at noon at Charlotte Latin. Jaylen Hoard added 20 points, while Ian Steere followed with eight points.
Wesleyan, which led by as many as eight in the first half, led 36-32 at halftime. But the Chargers, the defending state champions, quickly jumped ahead six 2 ½ minutes into the third quarter and led 56-53 heading to the fourth.
The Trojans trailed by one, 66-65, with 3:11 left but took the lead for good when Caraher hit a 3 from the right wing with 2:34 left to lead by two and on the next possession, after having his first attempt knocked away, recovered the loose ball and scored with 1:23 left to lead 70-66 with 1:23 left.
“We had some big plays from everybody — Brendan Austin, Jaylen Hoard, Khyre Thompson,” Caraher said. “All those guys just had big-time performances. Rebounds, blocks, steals — I think it’s just the heart. We just played with our hearts and willed a way to come out with a win.
“I had an open shot and I shot it — I practice that shot a lot,” he said of his two key baskets. “Montay Brandon (who starred at Wesleyan and Florida State) has been working with me, and we’ve been practicing that shot a lot. The last one, I really just got lucky. It rolled to me and I just put it in the basket.
“It was really huge, because plays like that win basketball games. All my teammates made plays like that tonight. And it’s just plays like that — those little plays like that might not show up in the boxscore and fans might not recognize — that win basketball games.”
Wesleyan inched away with three free throws to lead 73-66 with 35.7 seconds left and held Providence Day (23-11), which was led by Devon Dotson with 32 points and Trey Wertz with 19 points, to just a 3 in its final four possessions.
“This is familiar territor y — it’s our fourth year here,” Gatlin said of moving on to the title game. “So, it’s a blessing. We want to represent the school well and just keep going. ... Greensboro Day is obviously ver y familiar. It’s great for our conference to have both teams.
“The first two times we didn’t score the ball against them. If we can score the ball and play somewhat to our normal game with Jaylen and Aaron (Wiggins) playing well, then we like our chances.”
