Wesleyan sweeps First Assembly
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — A newcomer stepped to the forefront to help lift the Wesleyan Christian boys to an early-season victory.
Jaylen Hoard scored a game-high 32 points to lead the Trojans past Concord First Assembly 79-69 in nonconference basketball Tuesday at Wesleyan. The Trojan girls also won 50-45.
Wesleyan (4-0) led by double digits in the second quarter, pushed their lead past 20 in the third quarter and hung on down the stretch as the Eagles (4-1) rallied in the final minutes.
“We played well in spurts,” Trojans coach Keith Gatlin said. “It’s early. Our defense has to be much better. We get up and we just let our guard down. We’re so young that, when we get up, our guys don’t understand yet that great teams put the hammer on them.”
Hoard, a junior transfer from France, scored 16 points in each half, getting to the basket for points both in the set offense and in transition. David Caraher added 17 points, followed by Ian Steere with 12 points.
“It felt pretty good — now we’re 4-0,” said Hoard, whose father knows Gatlin from their playing days. “We just have to stay consistent throughout the game. Pretty much every game we’ve had a quarter we haven’t played that well, so we just have to pick it up. We’re missing a couple players, so we’re just trying to get by. But once they come back, we should be fine.”
After leading 16-11 at the end of the first quarter, Wesleyan used spurts of 7-0 to lead by 12 with 5:37 left in the half and 6-0 to lead by 15 with 1:40 left. That helped it lead 35-23 at halftime.
CFA did trim its deficit to six early in the third before the Trojans answered with a 14-4 run to lead by 16 with 3:11 left in the quarter and stretched their lead past 20 in the final minute.
Wesleyan led by as many as 23 three times early in the fourth before the Eagles went on an 18-4 run to pull within nine, 73-64, with 1:56 left. But Caraher scored a three-point play and the Trojans hit 4 of 5 free throws to seal the win.
“I subbed, because I wanted to get a lot of guys in the game — which turned out to be the worst thing to do,” Gatlin said with a laugh. “I told them that that was my Thanksgiving present — subbing a lot. We’ve got to put teams away, but we’re coming along.”
The Trojans play again Tuesday at home against Wake Christian.
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — A newcomer stepped to the forefront to help lift the Wesleyan Christian boys to an early-season victory.
Jaylen Hoard scored a game-high 32 points to lead the Trojans past Concord First Assembly 79-69 in nonconference basketball Tuesday at Wesleyan. The Trojan girls also won 50-45.
Wesleyan (4-0) led by double digits in the second quarter, pushed their lead past 20 in the third quarter and hung on down the stretch as the Eagles (4-1) rallied in the final minutes.
“We played well in spurts,” Trojans coach Keith Gatlin said. “It’s early. Our defense has to be much better. We get up and we just let our guard down. We’re so young that, when we get up, our guys don’t understand yet that great teams put the hammer on them.”
Hoard, a junior transfer from France, scored 16 points in each half, getting to the basket for points both in the set offense and in transition. David Caraher added 17 points, followed by Ian Steere with 12 points.
“It felt pretty good — now we’re 4-0,” said Hoard, whose father knows Gatlin from their playing days. “We just have to stay consistent throughout the game. Pretty much every game we’ve had a quarter we haven’t played that well, so we just have to pick it up. We’re missing a couple players, so we’re just trying to get by. But once they come back, we should be fine.”
After leading 16-11 at the end of the first quarter, Wesleyan used spurts of 7-0 to lead by 12 with 5:37 left in the half and 6-0 to lead by 15 with 1:40 left. That helped it lead 35-23 at halftime.
CFA did trim its deficit to six early in the third before the Trojans answered with a 14-4 run to lead by 16 with 3:11 left in the quarter and stretched their lead past 20 in the final minute.
Wesleyan led by as many as 23 three times early in the fourth before the Eagles went on an 18-4 run to pull within nine, 73-64, with 1:56 left. But Caraher scored a three-point play and the Trojans hit 4 of 5 free throws to seal the win.
“I subbed, because I wanted to get a lot of guys in the game — which turned out to be the worst thing to do,” Gatlin said with a laugh. “I told them that that was my Thanksgiving present — subbing a lot. We’ve got to put teams away, but we’re coming along.”
The Trojans play again Tuesday at home against Wake Christian.
