FCD handles West Stokes, 61-54
By Brant Wilkerson-New Winston-Salem Journal
PFAFFTOWN — Without its most valuable player for the second straight game, Forsyth Country Day had another chance to grow up.
This time around, the Furies made plays down the stretch to top scrappy West Stokes 61-54 on Monday afternoon in a Champion bracket consolation game in the Frank Spencer Holiday Classic at Reagan.
After losing a lead in the final minute in a 59-56 loss to West Forsyth in the first round, FCD (14-2) put that lesson to good use against West Stokes (6-6), which drew within 57-52 with 1:23 to go.
The Wildcats would get no closer, with Brandon Mayhan sinking two free throws and Nick Evtimov converting a layup while the Furies forced two turnovers in the final 53 seconds.
In all, FCD forced 19 West turnovers.
Mayhan led the Furies with 16 points, and Bruno Solomun added 15 with Tripp Greene chipping in 10.
The Furies were without Matty Edwards, a fifth-year senior, who is ineligible for the Frank Spencer Classic.
“Playing under a situation, learning how to finish a game is something that takes a little practice and experience,” coach Howard West of FCD said. “That’s probably the best thing we got out of that, was I got a chance to coach them through some situations and explain to them why this wasn’t a good shot or that wasn’t. They’re not pros; they’re high school kids, and I think they’re going to be fine.”
The game was a stark contrast to the first meeting between the teams on Dec. 21, when FCD — with Edwards in the lineup — destroyed West Stokes 74-37.
West warned his team that victory meant nothing, pointing out that the Carolina Panthers beat the Atlanta Falcons 38-0 two weeks before Sunday’s 20-13 loss.
“They shot the ball well, they controlled the tempo — half-court tempo game — that’s fine, I figured that. (Coach Dan Spainhour) is a great coach; he does a great job with his kids,” West said. “They hung in there and they scrapped like they normally do.
“These kind of trap games and stuff like that, it’s easy for one team to go to sleep.”
The undersized Wildcats used an efficient shooting effort to stay in it, hitting 22 of 40 (55 percent) from the field to overcome FCD’s 15-5 advantage on the offensive boards, resulting in a 12-4 advantage on second-chance points for the Furies.
Josh Turner led West Stokes with 23 points, and Noah Spainhour added 10.
Overall, the Furies attempted 19 more field goals, hitting 26 of 59.
FCD will meet Lexington at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday at Reagan for fifth place in the Champion bracket.
West is looking forward to a very different game than Monday’s plodding pace.
“Athletic, get it up and down the court,” he said of Lexington. “You don’t know who’s going to launch it, because it’s he-who-has-it, puts it up. It’ll probably be one of those games 85-80, or something like that.”
W. STOKES;—;13;13;11;17;—;54
By Brant Wilkerson-New Winston-Salem Journal
PFAFFTOWN — Without its most valuable player for the second straight game, Forsyth Country Day had another chance to grow up.
This time around, the Furies made plays down the stretch to top scrappy West Stokes 61-54 on Monday afternoon in a Champion bracket consolation game in the Frank Spencer Holiday Classic at Reagan.
After losing a lead in the final minute in a 59-56 loss to West Forsyth in the first round, FCD (14-2) put that lesson to good use against West Stokes (6-6), which drew within 57-52 with 1:23 to go.
The Wildcats would get no closer, with Brandon Mayhan sinking two free throws and Nick Evtimov converting a layup while the Furies forced two turnovers in the final 53 seconds.
In all, FCD forced 19 West turnovers.
Mayhan led the Furies with 16 points, and Bruno Solomun added 15 with Tripp Greene chipping in 10.
The Furies were without Matty Edwards, a fifth-year senior, who is ineligible for the Frank Spencer Classic.
“Playing under a situation, learning how to finish a game is something that takes a little practice and experience,” coach Howard West of FCD said. “That’s probably the best thing we got out of that, was I got a chance to coach them through some situations and explain to them why this wasn’t a good shot or that wasn’t. They’re not pros; they’re high school kids, and I think they’re going to be fine.”
The game was a stark contrast to the first meeting between the teams on Dec. 21, when FCD — with Edwards in the lineup — destroyed West Stokes 74-37.
West warned his team that victory meant nothing, pointing out that the Carolina Panthers beat the Atlanta Falcons 38-0 two weeks before Sunday’s 20-13 loss.
“They shot the ball well, they controlled the tempo — half-court tempo game — that’s fine, I figured that. (Coach Dan Spainhour) is a great coach; he does a great job with his kids,” West said. “They hung in there and they scrapped like they normally do.
“These kind of trap games and stuff like that, it’s easy for one team to go to sleep.”
The undersized Wildcats used an efficient shooting effort to stay in it, hitting 22 of 40 (55 percent) from the field to overcome FCD’s 15-5 advantage on the offensive boards, resulting in a 12-4 advantage on second-chance points for the Furies.
Josh Turner led West Stokes with 23 points, and Noah Spainhour added 10.
Overall, the Furies attempted 19 more field goals, hitting 26 of 59.
FCD will meet Lexington at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday at Reagan for fifth place in the Champion bracket.
West is looking forward to a very different game than Monday’s plodding pace.
“Athletic, get it up and down the court,” he said of Lexington. “You don’t know who’s going to launch it, because it’s he-who-has-it, puts it up. It’ll probably be one of those games 85-80, or something like that.”
W. STOKES;—;13;13;11;17;—;54
