Wesleyan boys rally past Ravenscroft
By GREER SMITH ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — Down double-digits, Wesleyan Christian’s boys basketball team, sparked by its senior starters, stormed back to lead, pulled away by winning a free-throw shooting contest down the stretch and defeated Ravenscroft 71-61 in the an opening-round game of the NCISAA 4A boys basketball playoffs Tuesday in Wesleyan’s gym.
The Trojans improved to 11-16 and advanced to a second-round game at No. 6-seed Cannon School on Thursday. Ravenscroft finishes 14-9.
“We came out really slow and weren’t doing what we’re taught to do,” Trojan forward Jefferson McLamb said. “Coach (C.J. Lee) got onto us and woke us up . . .Me, Luke Grace, Alex (McGee) and Cam (Paker) just pulled the team together. We gave it all we had and we wound up on top.”
McLamb led the way on offense with 26 points that included 11 of 13 from the free throw line. Grace added 15, Weaver 11 and Parker seven. They also played key parts on defense after the Trojans were out scored 17-2 late in the first quarter and trailed 24-9.
“They jumped on us and the look on our faces was not good,” Lee said. “We were rattled. I credit our guys, particularly our seniors. They wouldn’t let it go the other way today. So much of it was being solid over spectacular. We just needed to string together a bunch of positive plays.”
Ravenscroft built the first quarter lead and then extended it into the second quarter with the help of seven 3s, four of them by Dakota Gordon from well out. The Trojans then tightened their defense, as they began to make defending against the 3 a priority, and ended the first half with 10 straight points to trail 33-29 at the break.
“They started out 7 for 7, “ Lee said. “We knew they’d be ready for our 3 zone and our 2-3 zone and they chopped it up. We switched to our man-to-man package and to our full court package and that slowed them down. It put our bodies closer to their bodies and we were able to contest. That was the thing, contest shots and hold the rebound numbers down, and I was pleased we outrebounded them 33-21.”
The Ravens made just one 3 in the second half, that by Gordon, who was guarded primarily by Parker. McLamb, McGee and Trent Jackson combined to guard the other 3-points shooters.
“The difference was good, old man-toman defense,” Lee said.
Wesleyan finally pulled even at 40-40 with 3:30 on a McLamb 3, and a McLamb layup later in the period put the Trojans ahead 44-42, their first lead since the opening seconds.
Ravenscroft managed to tie the score for the final time at 49-49 with 4:25 left in regulation. McLamb hit an off-balance jumper from about 8 feet while he fouled and made the free throw to put Wesleyan ahead 52-49, and his fastbreak dunk made it 54-49 with 3:25 left. Ravesncroft never got closer than three, the last time at 59-56.
“That shot was definitely off-balance,” McLamb said. “It’s not something I practice. It was instinct taking over and it went in, to my surprise. That’s all I could ask for. And the dunk and the run out was a great energy play for the team.”
The Trojans scored the rest of their points at the free throw line, hitting 12 of 14 in the final 1:37.
Ravenscroft scored just one point while missing three free throws in the first 1:17 of that stretch as Wesleyan built the lead to 68-57.
By GREER SMITH ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — Down double-digits, Wesleyan Christian’s boys basketball team, sparked by its senior starters, stormed back to lead, pulled away by winning a free-throw shooting contest down the stretch and defeated Ravenscroft 71-61 in the an opening-round game of the NCISAA 4A boys basketball playoffs Tuesday in Wesleyan’s gym.
The Trojans improved to 11-16 and advanced to a second-round game at No. 6-seed Cannon School on Thursday. Ravenscroft finishes 14-9.
“We came out really slow and weren’t doing what we’re taught to do,” Trojan forward Jefferson McLamb said. “Coach (C.J. Lee) got onto us and woke us up . . .Me, Luke Grace, Alex (McGee) and Cam (Paker) just pulled the team together. We gave it all we had and we wound up on top.”
McLamb led the way on offense with 26 points that included 11 of 13 from the free throw line. Grace added 15, Weaver 11 and Parker seven. They also played key parts on defense after the Trojans were out scored 17-2 late in the first quarter and trailed 24-9.
“They jumped on us and the look on our faces was not good,” Lee said. “We were rattled. I credit our guys, particularly our seniors. They wouldn’t let it go the other way today. So much of it was being solid over spectacular. We just needed to string together a bunch of positive plays.”
Ravenscroft built the first quarter lead and then extended it into the second quarter with the help of seven 3s, four of them by Dakota Gordon from well out. The Trojans then tightened their defense, as they began to make defending against the 3 a priority, and ended the first half with 10 straight points to trail 33-29 at the break.
“They started out 7 for 7, “ Lee said. “We knew they’d be ready for our 3 zone and our 2-3 zone and they chopped it up. We switched to our man-to-man package and to our full court package and that slowed them down. It put our bodies closer to their bodies and we were able to contest. That was the thing, contest shots and hold the rebound numbers down, and I was pleased we outrebounded them 33-21.”
The Ravens made just one 3 in the second half, that by Gordon, who was guarded primarily by Parker. McLamb, McGee and Trent Jackson combined to guard the other 3-points shooters.
“The difference was good, old man-toman defense,” Lee said.
Wesleyan finally pulled even at 40-40 with 3:30 on a McLamb 3, and a McLamb layup later in the period put the Trojans ahead 44-42, their first lead since the opening seconds.
Ravenscroft managed to tie the score for the final time at 49-49 with 4:25 left in regulation. McLamb hit an off-balance jumper from about 8 feet while he fouled and made the free throw to put Wesleyan ahead 52-49, and his fastbreak dunk made it 54-49 with 3:25 left. Ravesncroft never got closer than three, the last time at 59-56.
“That shot was definitely off-balance,” McLamb said. “It’s not something I practice. It was instinct taking over and it went in, to my surprise. That’s all I could ask for. And the dunk and the run out was a great energy play for the team.”
The Trojans scored the rest of their points at the free throw line, hitting 12 of 14 in the final 1:37.
Ravenscroft scored just one point while missing three free throws in the first 1:17 of that stretch as Wesleyan built the lead to 68-57.
