BY JAY SPIVEY
Winston-Salem Journal
GRAHAM — Junior Isaiah Wilkins scored 30 points to help the Mount Tabor Spartans pummel the High Point Christian Cougars, 76-45, at the Tony Perrou Classic at Southern Alamance High School on Monday.
The Spartans (15-3) extended their winning streak to seven games and got 13 points from Austin Gilyard and 10 from Nicholas Evtimov.
“It was a game that we were hitting on all cylinders,” said Spartans coach Andy Muse. “I think we shocked them from the start of the game, and they never recovered. So our guys really executed our game plan, and getting 43 points from Isaiah Wilkins and Austin Gilyard was great from our guard position.”
Muse said Wilkins is a special player.
“He can put the ball in the hole, and he can do it in a variety of ways — going to the hole, pullup jumpers, hitting 3s,” Muse said. “And he does it in an unselfish way.”
Mount Tabor just completed an NBA-like schedule, winning four games in five days. Mount Tabor defeated Central Piedmont 4-A rival Davie County 74-55 Thursday night, North Forsyth 69-43Friday night and Charlotte Christian 46-43 on Saturday. The win on Saturday avenged a 56-43 loss to Charlotte Christian on Nov. 29.
“We’re actually coming together pretty well from the first game,” Wilkins said. “We didn’t play well as a team, but we’re actually coming together playing good as a team.”
MOUNT TABOR LED from start to finish and took an 8-0 lead after Wilkins hit a layup with 6:11 left. High Point Christian (14-6) had five straight points from Jalen Seegars, who has signed to play at UNC Asheville, but Mount Tabor answered with a 6-0 run, culminating with a follow by Evtimov with 2:35 left to extend the lead to 14-5.
Mount Tabor led 19-12 after the first quarter and pushed it to 36-19 with two minutes to go in the first half after a 3-pointer by Jake Rutter.
“They’re a really good team. They’re playing well right now,” said Cougars coach Joseph Cooper. “They’re coming off a big win. And we were coming off a heartbreak loss (51-49 to Raleigh Ravenscroft) on Friday night. I thought we never really woke up. I think we were busy feeling sorry for ourselves.
“Hats off to them. They’re a great team, and I know they’re going to have a good rest of the year.”
Mount Tabor took a 60-27 lead after two free throws by Wilkins with 2:20 left in the third quarter. Reece Bogan of High Point Christian made two free throws after being fouled by Evtimov on a 3-point attempt, but Rutter nailed a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 63-29 with 2:03 left in the third quarter.
Wilkins said he was surprised at how easily theSpartans won. Mount Tabor will be on exam break until it plays at Reagan Friday night.
“In the past, High Point Christian has been a really good team,” Wilkins said. “It’s good to see us beat them like we did.”
Winston-Salem Journal
GRAHAM — Junior Isaiah Wilkins scored 30 points to help the Mount Tabor Spartans pummel the High Point Christian Cougars, 76-45, at the Tony Perrou Classic at Southern Alamance High School on Monday.
The Spartans (15-3) extended their winning streak to seven games and got 13 points from Austin Gilyard and 10 from Nicholas Evtimov.
“It was a game that we were hitting on all cylinders,” said Spartans coach Andy Muse. “I think we shocked them from the start of the game, and they never recovered. So our guys really executed our game plan, and getting 43 points from Isaiah Wilkins and Austin Gilyard was great from our guard position.”
Muse said Wilkins is a special player.
“He can put the ball in the hole, and he can do it in a variety of ways — going to the hole, pullup jumpers, hitting 3s,” Muse said. “And he does it in an unselfish way.”
Mount Tabor just completed an NBA-like schedule, winning four games in five days. Mount Tabor defeated Central Piedmont 4-A rival Davie County 74-55 Thursday night, North Forsyth 69-43Friday night and Charlotte Christian 46-43 on Saturday. The win on Saturday avenged a 56-43 loss to Charlotte Christian on Nov. 29.
“We’re actually coming together pretty well from the first game,” Wilkins said. “We didn’t play well as a team, but we’re actually coming together playing good as a team.”
MOUNT TABOR LED from start to finish and took an 8-0 lead after Wilkins hit a layup with 6:11 left. High Point Christian (14-6) had five straight points from Jalen Seegars, who has signed to play at UNC Asheville, but Mount Tabor answered with a 6-0 run, culminating with a follow by Evtimov with 2:35 left to extend the lead to 14-5.
Mount Tabor led 19-12 after the first quarter and pushed it to 36-19 with two minutes to go in the first half after a 3-pointer by Jake Rutter.
“They’re a really good team. They’re playing well right now,” said Cougars coach Joseph Cooper. “They’re coming off a big win. And we were coming off a heartbreak loss (51-49 to Raleigh Ravenscroft) on Friday night. I thought we never really woke up. I think we were busy feeling sorry for ourselves.
“Hats off to them. They’re a great team, and I know they’re going to have a good rest of the year.”
Mount Tabor took a 60-27 lead after two free throws by Wilkins with 2:20 left in the third quarter. Reece Bogan of High Point Christian made two free throws after being fouled by Evtimov on a 3-point attempt, but Rutter nailed a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 63-29 with 2:03 left in the third quarter.
Wilkins said he was surprised at how easily theSpartans won. Mount Tabor will be on exam break until it plays at Reagan Friday night.
“In the past, High Point Christian has been a really good team,” Wilkins said. “It’s good to see us beat them like we did.”
