How sweep it is
Greenfield beats top-ranked Trinity Christian 64-61
By Jimmy Lewis jlewis@wilsontimes.com | 265-7807 | Twitter: @JimmyLewisWT
Never mind the fact that the Greenfield School varsity boys basketball team went 7 for 13 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter of Saturday afternoon’s game with Fayetteville Trinity Christian.
After the second meeting between the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A powers — a 64-61 Greenfield win that ensured a sweep of the season series — the voodoo magic surrounding MaxPreps rankings will officially be tested.
Greenfield, which finished its regular season at 27-4, entered play ranked No. 2 among NCISAA programs by MaxPreps, while Trinity Christian, now 19-8, was in the top spot, despite the Knights’ 66-64 win on Jan. 2 in Fayetteville. However, since the NCISAA seeds teams for its postseason via committee, the human takeaways from the secret ranking formula will be lessened.
The sweep was assured for Greenfield after Trinity Christian inbounded the length of the floor with 3.1 seconds remaining. Todd Burt inbounded and found D.J. Horne along the sideline, who got behind the Greenfield defense for a clean catch. However, junior Jordan Lynch recovered and got a hand up, and Horne’s 3-point look to force overtime rimmed out from the corner as time expired.
“We just showed toughness tonight,” Greenfield head coach Rob Salter said. “I love how we battled on the glass to just make winning plays. Yeah, we missed free throws that could have clinched the game that could have ended it earlier, but it’s OK. We made plays to win the game, and I’m just so proud of our guys. Every single person on that team made plays to help us win tonight.”
Junior Jacari Outlaw led Greenfield with 22 points as one of four Knights in double figures.
Greenfield held a seven-point lead at 54-47 in the fourth quarter, but the Crusaders battled back to make it a one-possession game at 60-58 with 34.4 seconds to go on Deumbre Ginyard’s putback.
That allowed Trinity Christian to set up its pressure, but Greenfield broke it. Lynch beat the trap, finding Guilford behind the defense for a layup. Horne missed on the Trinity end of the floor, allowing Greenfield junior Trey Pittman to grab the rebound and get fouled with 13.4 seconds showing. Pittman split his trip to the free-throw line, sending the Knights up by five.
“I think we played pretty good,” Outlaw said. “We were solid on defense. We weren’t selfish; we just did what we had to do.”
After Pittman’s free throw, the theatrics commenced.
The officials spotted a fan causing commotion in the crowd, leaving Greenfield administrators to go over to diffuse the situation. He was not ejected, nor was there a edict from the officials to do so.
After the final buzzer, police were called to supervise the crowd’s egress from the gym. Both Salter and Trinity Christian head coach Heath Vandevender denied the source of the delay was affiliated with their programs. From the bench, Vandevender yelled to Salter to deal with the fan because “it’s your gym.”
Trinity players lingered on the floor in the direction of the original disruption before returning to the locker room.
“The environment was a little different today,” Vandevender said. “I thought that could have been handled much better, but that’s their situation. I’m proud of our effort and the way we played. I thought they made one or two more plays than we did, but it’s Trinity versus Greenfield. And typically, it ends like that.”
Explained Salter: “I don’t know who it was. I don’t even know who it was — the referee never told me or anything. I don’t think it was a Greenfield parent at all. I didn’t recognize who was over there talking. I don’t know who it was.”
Once play resumed, Trinity’s Keith Marshall came down and hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key, bringing the Crusaders within two. The ensuing inbound arrived in the hands of Greenfield’s only senior, Bryson Baker, who was fouled. He missed the first and made the second, leaving Salter to call timeout.
“If you make a shot like that, you just say ‘Wow, great job,’ Salter said. Could we have fouled? Yeah, but then I worry about their size getting the offensive rebound over us. I just decided we wanted to put someone on the ball and make sure we challenge it well.”
The first half was reflective of two tired teams, with Trinity Christian playing its fourth game in five days. Greenfield was on its third in five days. Trinity Christian senior wing Greg Gantt, who has signed with Providence College, didn’t play as he deals with a wrist injury that is expected to keep him out the remainder of the season.
Junior Creighton Lebo had 15 for Greenfield, while Pittman had 14. Collin Guilford, a junior, tallied 10 points. Pittman’s strong power move in the paint with 6:09 to play started a three-point play that put the Knights up 54-47.
Marshall led Trinity Christian with 18 points.
A potential third meeting between the teams could take place in the NCISAA 1-A postseason, and Outlaw thinks this isn’t the last Greenfield has seen of the Crusaders.
“I’m pretty sure we will,” he said of a third meeting with Trinity Christian. “It’s going to be a tough game. It’s going to be a good game to watch.”
TRINITY CHRISTIAN (61)
Horne 15, Dilione, Ginyard 6, Burt 14, Jones 2, Oates 4, Marshall 18, Wright 2.
GREENFIELD (64)
Guilford 10, Lynch 2, Outlaw 22, Baker 1, Holland, Pittman 14, Lebo 15, Foster.
Score by quarters:
Trinity Christian 11 16 20 14 — 61
Greenfield 15 13 21 15 — 64
Greenfield beats top-ranked Trinity Christian 64-61
By Jimmy Lewis jlewis@wilsontimes.com | 265-7807 | Twitter: @JimmyLewisWT
Never mind the fact that the Greenfield School varsity boys basketball team went 7 for 13 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter of Saturday afternoon’s game with Fayetteville Trinity Christian.
After the second meeting between the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A powers — a 64-61 Greenfield win that ensured a sweep of the season series — the voodoo magic surrounding MaxPreps rankings will officially be tested.
Greenfield, which finished its regular season at 27-4, entered play ranked No. 2 among NCISAA programs by MaxPreps, while Trinity Christian, now 19-8, was in the top spot, despite the Knights’ 66-64 win on Jan. 2 in Fayetteville. However, since the NCISAA seeds teams for its postseason via committee, the human takeaways from the secret ranking formula will be lessened.
The sweep was assured for Greenfield after Trinity Christian inbounded the length of the floor with 3.1 seconds remaining. Todd Burt inbounded and found D.J. Horne along the sideline, who got behind the Greenfield defense for a clean catch. However, junior Jordan Lynch recovered and got a hand up, and Horne’s 3-point look to force overtime rimmed out from the corner as time expired.
“We just showed toughness tonight,” Greenfield head coach Rob Salter said. “I love how we battled on the glass to just make winning plays. Yeah, we missed free throws that could have clinched the game that could have ended it earlier, but it’s OK. We made plays to win the game, and I’m just so proud of our guys. Every single person on that team made plays to help us win tonight.”
Junior Jacari Outlaw led Greenfield with 22 points as one of four Knights in double figures.
Greenfield held a seven-point lead at 54-47 in the fourth quarter, but the Crusaders battled back to make it a one-possession game at 60-58 with 34.4 seconds to go on Deumbre Ginyard’s putback.
That allowed Trinity Christian to set up its pressure, but Greenfield broke it. Lynch beat the trap, finding Guilford behind the defense for a layup. Horne missed on the Trinity end of the floor, allowing Greenfield junior Trey Pittman to grab the rebound and get fouled with 13.4 seconds showing. Pittman split his trip to the free-throw line, sending the Knights up by five.
“I think we played pretty good,” Outlaw said. “We were solid on defense. We weren’t selfish; we just did what we had to do.”
After Pittman’s free throw, the theatrics commenced.
The officials spotted a fan causing commotion in the crowd, leaving Greenfield administrators to go over to diffuse the situation. He was not ejected, nor was there a edict from the officials to do so.
After the final buzzer, police were called to supervise the crowd’s egress from the gym. Both Salter and Trinity Christian head coach Heath Vandevender denied the source of the delay was affiliated with their programs. From the bench, Vandevender yelled to Salter to deal with the fan because “it’s your gym.”
Trinity players lingered on the floor in the direction of the original disruption before returning to the locker room.
“The environment was a little different today,” Vandevender said. “I thought that could have been handled much better, but that’s their situation. I’m proud of our effort and the way we played. I thought they made one or two more plays than we did, but it’s Trinity versus Greenfield. And typically, it ends like that.”
Explained Salter: “I don’t know who it was. I don’t even know who it was — the referee never told me or anything. I don’t think it was a Greenfield parent at all. I didn’t recognize who was over there talking. I don’t know who it was.”
Once play resumed, Trinity’s Keith Marshall came down and hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key, bringing the Crusaders within two. The ensuing inbound arrived in the hands of Greenfield’s only senior, Bryson Baker, who was fouled. He missed the first and made the second, leaving Salter to call timeout.
“If you make a shot like that, you just say ‘Wow, great job,’ Salter said. Could we have fouled? Yeah, but then I worry about their size getting the offensive rebound over us. I just decided we wanted to put someone on the ball and make sure we challenge it well.”
The first half was reflective of two tired teams, with Trinity Christian playing its fourth game in five days. Greenfield was on its third in five days. Trinity Christian senior wing Greg Gantt, who has signed with Providence College, didn’t play as he deals with a wrist injury that is expected to keep him out the remainder of the season.
Junior Creighton Lebo had 15 for Greenfield, while Pittman had 14. Collin Guilford, a junior, tallied 10 points. Pittman’s strong power move in the paint with 6:09 to play started a three-point play that put the Knights up 54-47.
Marshall led Trinity Christian with 18 points.
A potential third meeting between the teams could take place in the NCISAA 1-A postseason, and Outlaw thinks this isn’t the last Greenfield has seen of the Crusaders.
“I’m pretty sure we will,” he said of a third meeting with Trinity Christian. “It’s going to be a tough game. It’s going to be a good game to watch.”
TRINITY CHRISTIAN (61)
Horne 15, Dilione, Ginyard 6, Burt 14, Jones 2, Oates 4, Marshall 18, Wright 2.
GREENFIELD (64)
Guilford 10, Lynch 2, Outlaw 22, Baker 1, Holland, Pittman 14, Lebo 15, Foster.
Score by quarters:
Trinity Christian 11 16 20 14 — 61
Greenfield 15 13 21 15 — 64
