Providence Day claims NCISAA 3A boys’ basketball title behind Trey Wertz, Grant Williams
By Tom Shanahan CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
RALEIGH
Two Providence Day busses were parked prominently for spectators to see as they entered the Ravenscroft campus for Saturday’s N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association boys’ and girls’ state championship basketball games.
That was one way the school made itself at home in the Capital City. The other was by the Providence Day boys completing a sweep of 3A state titles after the girls won their final against Ravenscroft.
Providence Day’s boys watched the first three quarters of the girls’ game and returned to the court to defeat High Point Christian 67-53 in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 1,300-plus that included North Carolina men’s basketball coach Roy Williams.
“That was great that our defense held them to six points” midway through the second quarter, said Chargers sophomore guard Trey Wertz, who finished with 25 points, six rebounds and six assists. “That got our transition game going.”
Top-seeded Providence Day (30-3) ran its winning streak to 20th in a row by beating the third-seeded Cougars (24-6). It is the first state championship for a CISAA team since Charlotte Latin won in 2004.
Chargers senior forward Grant Williams combined 15 points and eight rebounds with strong defensive play on Edrice “Bam” Adebayo. Providence Day’s Josh Howard added 14 points.
Kentucky-bound Adebayo, a 6-foot-9, 230-pounder, is the more highly touted player, but Tennessee-bound Williams (6-6, 230) took him out of the game during the first half.
Adebayo picked up his third foul with 4 minutes, 50 seconds remaining in the second quarter and High Point Christian trailing 22-6. Adebayo was scoreless in the half with three rebounds, although he finished the night with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
“Grant did a great job on him,” Wertz said. “He feels like he’s been an underrated player. He showed tonight he can play with the best of them.”
The score was close briefly in the second quarter when the Cougars mounted a rally without Adebayo that trimmed the deficit to 24-20 with 2:10 remaining in the half.
But a 7-2 Chargers run was good for a 31-22 halftime lead. Williams scored inside and Wertz hit two field goals, with the second one a 3-pointer that was part of his 10-point quarter.
Providence Day finished the season winning 28 of its final 29 games after opening the season with two losses in the Phenom Hoops Invitational to Oak Hill Academy of Mouth of Wilson, Va., and Mountain Mission of Grundy, Va.
By Tom Shanahan CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
RALEIGH
Two Providence Day busses were parked prominently for spectators to see as they entered the Ravenscroft campus for Saturday’s N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association boys’ and girls’ state championship basketball games.
That was one way the school made itself at home in the Capital City. The other was by the Providence Day boys completing a sweep of 3A state titles after the girls won their final against Ravenscroft.
Providence Day’s boys watched the first three quarters of the girls’ game and returned to the court to defeat High Point Christian 67-53 in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 1,300-plus that included North Carolina men’s basketball coach Roy Williams.
“That was great that our defense held them to six points” midway through the second quarter, said Chargers sophomore guard Trey Wertz, who finished with 25 points, six rebounds and six assists. “That got our transition game going.”
Top-seeded Providence Day (30-3) ran its winning streak to 20th in a row by beating the third-seeded Cougars (24-6). It is the first state championship for a CISAA team since Charlotte Latin won in 2004.
Chargers senior forward Grant Williams combined 15 points and eight rebounds with strong defensive play on Edrice “Bam” Adebayo. Providence Day’s Josh Howard added 14 points.
Kentucky-bound Adebayo, a 6-foot-9, 230-pounder, is the more highly touted player, but Tennessee-bound Williams (6-6, 230) took him out of the game during the first half.
Adebayo picked up his third foul with 4 minutes, 50 seconds remaining in the second quarter and High Point Christian trailing 22-6. Adebayo was scoreless in the half with three rebounds, although he finished the night with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
“Grant did a great job on him,” Wertz said. “He feels like he’s been an underrated player. He showed tonight he can play with the best of them.”
The score was close briefly in the second quarter when the Cougars mounted a rally without Adebayo that trimmed the deficit to 24-20 with 2:10 remaining in the half.
But a 7-2 Chargers run was good for a 31-22 halftime lead. Williams scored inside and Wertz hit two field goals, with the second one a 3-pointer that was part of his 10-point quarter.
Providence Day finished the season winning 28 of its final 29 games after opening the season with two losses in the Phenom Hoops Invitational to Oak Hill Academy of Mouth of Wilson, Va., and Mountain Mission of Grundy, Va.
