Late run helps Coastal Christian down West Brunswick in boys hoops
By Tim Hower StarNews Staff
Coastal Christian boys basketball coach Craig Wheeler has learned a lot about his young team over the past week.
For the second consecutive game, the Centurions showed toughness down the stretch for a victory over a public school. Tommy Murphy's steal and layup with just under three minutes left broke a tie and helped Coastal Christian pick up a 50-48 victory over West Brunswick on Tuesday night.
"I love that this group doesn't get caught up in what they can't control," Wheeler said. "We knew West Brunswick was going to make a run. All these teams make a run because they are great teams. You have to be able to stay calm and handle your business, and I felt like we did that."
The Centurions (5-2) turned a 20-16 deficit into a 27-22 halftime lead thanks in large part to hustle plays from David Perez, who is still recovering from an ankle injury he sustained during the first day of practice.
Perez converted a pair of fastbreak layups, including one as the buzzer sounded, to send Coastal Christian into the locker room with confidence.
"David is always going to bring energy and hustle," Wheeler said. "He was our player of the game tonight."
A pair of free throws from Michael Parker early in the fourth quarter stretched Coastal Christian's lead to 39-29. That's when West Brunswick (0-1) made its run.
Josh Woodard converted a pair of three-point plays during a 12-3 run that tied the score at 41 with 3:46 to play. The Trojans had a couple opportunities to take the lead, but shots wouldn't fall.
Murphy flipped the momentum back to the home team with his steal near midcourt. His layup was good, sparking a 7-0 spurt.
West Brunswick made things interesting late, but time ran out on its comeback attempt. It was a similar script to Coastal Christian's hard-fought victory over North Brunswick on Nov. 22.
"We just throw more punches than the other guys," said Parker, who led the Centurions with 15 points. "We are a tough team."
Woodard scored 11 of his game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Trojans.
"I expected some first-game jitters," West Brunswick coach Eric Davis said. "We have a lot new guys in new positions. I wish we would have cut down on some of the turnovers and we missed too many layups. Those are things that we will get right as we move along."
By Tim Hower StarNews Staff
Coastal Christian boys basketball coach Craig Wheeler has learned a lot about his young team over the past week.
For the second consecutive game, the Centurions showed toughness down the stretch for a victory over a public school. Tommy Murphy's steal and layup with just under three minutes left broke a tie and helped Coastal Christian pick up a 50-48 victory over West Brunswick on Tuesday night.
"I love that this group doesn't get caught up in what they can't control," Wheeler said. "We knew West Brunswick was going to make a run. All these teams make a run because they are great teams. You have to be able to stay calm and handle your business, and I felt like we did that."
The Centurions (5-2) turned a 20-16 deficit into a 27-22 halftime lead thanks in large part to hustle plays from David Perez, who is still recovering from an ankle injury he sustained during the first day of practice.
Perez converted a pair of fastbreak layups, including one as the buzzer sounded, to send Coastal Christian into the locker room with confidence.
"David is always going to bring energy and hustle," Wheeler said. "He was our player of the game tonight."
A pair of free throws from Michael Parker early in the fourth quarter stretched Coastal Christian's lead to 39-29. That's when West Brunswick (0-1) made its run.
Josh Woodard converted a pair of three-point plays during a 12-3 run that tied the score at 41 with 3:46 to play. The Trojans had a couple opportunities to take the lead, but shots wouldn't fall.
Murphy flipped the momentum back to the home team with his steal near midcourt. His layup was good, sparking a 7-0 spurt.
West Brunswick made things interesting late, but time ran out on its comeback attempt. It was a similar script to Coastal Christian's hard-fought victory over North Brunswick on Nov. 22.
"We just throw more punches than the other guys," said Parker, who led the Centurions with 15 points. "We are a tough team."
Woodard scored 11 of his game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Trojans.
"I expected some first-game jitters," West Brunswick coach Eric Davis said. "We have a lot new guys in new positions. I wish we would have cut down on some of the turnovers and we missed too many layups. Those are things that we will get right as we move along."
