Wesleyan takes two from HPCA
BY GREER SMITH
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — The Wesleyan Christian Academy faithful left Senior Night with plenty to celebrate Tuesday.
The Trojan boys shredded High Point Christian’s defense to go up by nearly 20 late in the second quarter, survived a Cougar rally fueled by a flurry by Jalen Seegars and held on for a 80-68 PACIS victory.
“We defended better in the first half,” Wesleyan coach Keith Gatlin said. “It’s tough to beat a team three times and give High Point Christian credit, they played very well in the second half. We scored the ball the first half, but we also held them to 27 points and then we gave up 40 in the second.”
In the girls game, Wesleyan dominated from the start and cruised to a 54-16 triumph.
BOYS GAME
Wesleyan (24-3, 3-1 PACIS) opened up early leads of 9 and 10 points, watched the Cougars (16-8, 1-3) rally both times and finally took command with a 15-2 run that provided a 43-25 cushion with 1:10 left in the second quarter.
The Trojans were able to do what they wanted to do in the first two quarters, repeatedly driving or passing for shots close to the basket.
“We were fired up and ready to play, it being Senior Night,” Wesleyan forward David Caraher said after leading the Trojans with 22 points, 18 in the second half. “My guys came out ready to play and they responded. Aaron Wiggins and Jaylen Hoard, those guys were amazing.
We’ve been working the last couple of weeks on running the floor so we have open lanes when we get into our first set on the break. I put that on coach putting us in the right situation to make plays.”
Hoard and Wiggins both had nine points in the first half. Hoard, who finished with 17, started the big run with a dunk,and Wiggins contributed fi ve points
during it. HPCA coach Joseph Cooper called timeout twice trying to stop the Wesleyan surge.
“We took some bad shots,” Cooper said. “We talk all the time about not turning the ball over and letting them get out in transition. In a game like this, you take bad shots and they get out in transition. We took a couple of corner 3s that were rushed and with their length and ability to get out and run, you just can’t do that. We made mistakes and it’s tough to get back against them if you make mistakes.”
Wesleyan led by 16 at the half, a margin that peaked at 58-36 on two Caraher free throws with 2:07 left in the third quarter. They were up 18 with 6:26 left when Seegars, who ended up with 28, scored nine straight points on a 3, a dunk and free throw and another 3, making it 63-54 with 5:03 left.
“He’s either one of the best players on the court or the best,” Cooper said. “We can always count on time to carry us either with a basket or a defensive stop or a block.
“I thought we still had a chance when we got it to nine with three minutes to play and got in the double bonus,” Cooper said. “But we had a couple shots rim out and couldn’t get to the line.”
HPCA cut the lead to nine three more times, the last at 74-65 with 31 seconds left, but got no closer.
“I think we got complacent in the second half,” Caraher said. “We’ve got to have that same energy. We came out so strong and didn’t keep that up in the second half. We’ve got to keep that. I’ll take it upon myself to address that in practice.”
The Trojans entertain Greensboro Day on Friday, needing a win to tie the Bengals for first place.
“We’ve got to improve on some things and we’ve got to come out and protect home court on Friday,” Gatlin said.
De’Shaun Taylor added 13 for HPCA and Reece Bogan had 11. The Cougars take on Forsyth Country Day on Friday.
BY GREER SMITH
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — The Wesleyan Christian Academy faithful left Senior Night with plenty to celebrate Tuesday.
The Trojan boys shredded High Point Christian’s defense to go up by nearly 20 late in the second quarter, survived a Cougar rally fueled by a flurry by Jalen Seegars and held on for a 80-68 PACIS victory.
“We defended better in the first half,” Wesleyan coach Keith Gatlin said. “It’s tough to beat a team three times and give High Point Christian credit, they played very well in the second half. We scored the ball the first half, but we also held them to 27 points and then we gave up 40 in the second.”
In the girls game, Wesleyan dominated from the start and cruised to a 54-16 triumph.
BOYS GAME
Wesleyan (24-3, 3-1 PACIS) opened up early leads of 9 and 10 points, watched the Cougars (16-8, 1-3) rally both times and finally took command with a 15-2 run that provided a 43-25 cushion with 1:10 left in the second quarter.
The Trojans were able to do what they wanted to do in the first two quarters, repeatedly driving or passing for shots close to the basket.
“We were fired up and ready to play, it being Senior Night,” Wesleyan forward David Caraher said after leading the Trojans with 22 points, 18 in the second half. “My guys came out ready to play and they responded. Aaron Wiggins and Jaylen Hoard, those guys were amazing.
We’ve been working the last couple of weeks on running the floor so we have open lanes when we get into our first set on the break. I put that on coach putting us in the right situation to make plays.”
Hoard and Wiggins both had nine points in the first half. Hoard, who finished with 17, started the big run with a dunk,and Wiggins contributed fi ve points
during it. HPCA coach Joseph Cooper called timeout twice trying to stop the Wesleyan surge.
“We took some bad shots,” Cooper said. “We talk all the time about not turning the ball over and letting them get out in transition. In a game like this, you take bad shots and they get out in transition. We took a couple of corner 3s that were rushed and with their length and ability to get out and run, you just can’t do that. We made mistakes and it’s tough to get back against them if you make mistakes.”
Wesleyan led by 16 at the half, a margin that peaked at 58-36 on two Caraher free throws with 2:07 left in the third quarter. They were up 18 with 6:26 left when Seegars, who ended up with 28, scored nine straight points on a 3, a dunk and free throw and another 3, making it 63-54 with 5:03 left.
“He’s either one of the best players on the court or the best,” Cooper said. “We can always count on time to carry us either with a basket or a defensive stop or a block.
“I thought we still had a chance when we got it to nine with three minutes to play and got in the double bonus,” Cooper said. “But we had a couple shots rim out and couldn’t get to the line.”
HPCA cut the lead to nine three more times, the last at 74-65 with 31 seconds left, but got no closer.
“I think we got complacent in the second half,” Caraher said. “We’ve got to have that same energy. We came out so strong and didn’t keep that up in the second half. We’ve got to keep that. I’ll take it upon myself to address that in practice.”
The Trojans entertain Greensboro Day on Friday, needing a win to tie the Bengals for first place.
“We’ve got to improve on some things and we’ve got to come out and protect home court on Friday,” Gatlin said.
De’Shaun Taylor added 13 for HPCA and Reece Bogan had 11. The Cougars take on Forsyth Country Day on Friday.
