Adebayo Carries HPC to victory
Joe Sirera GREENSBORO NEWS & RECORD
joe.sirera@greensboro.com
HIGH POINT
With the game on the line Thursday night, everything for High Point Christian revolved around Edrice “Bam” Adebayo as it usually does.The 6-foot-10 McDonald’s All-American scored 34 points, drew the defense away from teammate Michal Seals on the winning basket and blocked Wesleyan’s final shot to preserve a 71-69 PACIS boys basketball victory.
The Cougars (17-4, 2-1) trailed 69-68 after a 3-pointer by Wesleyan’s Brendan Austin with 32 seconds left and ran a play for Adebayo.
“We set a ball screen/back screen for Bam to kind of free him, not knowing if he was going to get it on the roll but hoping he’d at least get it on the reversal,” High Point Christian coach Brandon Clifford said. ”They were a little late getting out on Michal, so he was able to turn the corner and get in there and finish. Even if he misses, Bam is there to clean it up.”
“Of course they doubled” Bam, Seals said. “Jalen Johnson tried to step up, but I just put my body into him and finished at the rack.”
After a timeout by Wesleyan (16-7, 2-2), Adebayo was there to clean it up again. Trojans point guard Brandon Childress blew past his defender and got into the lane, but the Cougars power forward smacked the shot off the backboard and controlled the rebound.
“I just said to myself, ‘I have to have my teammates’ backs,’ ” the Kentucky signee said.
Adebayo was fouled with 3.1 seconds to play and hit one of two free throws for
the final margin.
“Bam played like the best player in the country, which he is,” Clifford said. “We haven’t always put
him in position to look like that. A lot of that is on me, but we’re still trying to figure out how to play with a guy like that. He carried us tonight.”
Joe Sirera GREENSBORO NEWS & RECORD
joe.sirera@greensboro.com
HIGH POINT
With the game on the line Thursday night, everything for High Point Christian revolved around Edrice “Bam” Adebayo as it usually does.The 6-foot-10 McDonald’s All-American scored 34 points, drew the defense away from teammate Michal Seals on the winning basket and blocked Wesleyan’s final shot to preserve a 71-69 PACIS boys basketball victory.
The Cougars (17-4, 2-1) trailed 69-68 after a 3-pointer by Wesleyan’s Brendan Austin with 32 seconds left and ran a play for Adebayo.
“We set a ball screen/back screen for Bam to kind of free him, not knowing if he was going to get it on the roll but hoping he’d at least get it on the reversal,” High Point Christian coach Brandon Clifford said. ”They were a little late getting out on Michal, so he was able to turn the corner and get in there and finish. Even if he misses, Bam is there to clean it up.”
“Of course they doubled” Bam, Seals said. “Jalen Johnson tried to step up, but I just put my body into him and finished at the rack.”
After a timeout by Wesleyan (16-7, 2-2), Adebayo was there to clean it up again. Trojans point guard Brandon Childress blew past his defender and got into the lane, but the Cougars power forward smacked the shot off the backboard and controlled the rebound.
“I just said to myself, ‘I have to have my teammates’ backs,’ ” the Kentucky signee said.
Adebayo was fouled with 3.1 seconds to play and hit one of two free throws for
the final margin.
“Bam played like the best player in the country, which he is,” Clifford said. “We haven’t always put
him in position to look like that. A lot of that is on me, but we’re still trying to figure out how to play with a guy like that. He carried us tonight.”
