Wesleyan beats Piedmont, 65-57
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — Wesleyan Christian has made slow but overall steady progress toward playing its best as a team. Monday against Piedmont Classical was an good exampleof that. The Trojans muddled through an OK first half before upping their playduring key stretches of the second half to pull away and beat the Bobcats 65-57 at Wesleyan in a meeting of two of the area’s top boys basketball programs.
“I’m never going to complain about a victory,” Wesleyan coach C.J. Lee said. “I’m proud of the way our guys competed, in the sense of the outcome. I was not pleased with the play throughout the 32 minutes. A lot of that had to do with low energy, low communication. And that is something we’ve been preaching with our guys consistently probably since the start of the new year.
“It’s amazing to me how, with this group of young men, it’s not really about strategy or tactics. It’s more about the communication and energy leading to a connected team. There are stretches where we’re just not as connected as we need to be. But credit Piedmont Classical — they’re having a tremendous year, and we knew we would get their best shot.”
Aisaiah Phillips scored 16 points to lead the Trojans (9-6), who led by seven points in each of the second and third quarters before watching those leads dwindle to three each time. Luke Davis added 13 points, followed by Kaleb Brooks and Jacob Chrapliwy with 10 points apiece.
Wesleyan closed the third with five straight points to lead 47-39 and, despite a stretch of five turnovers in seven possessions, went on a 9-2 run early in the fourth to turn a six-point game intoa 13-point game with 4:18 left — thanks in large part to defense, rebounding and a handful of timely baskets.
“First half, we came out soft, came out dry. We were only up by like four pointsat halftime,” said Phillips, a sophomore guard who scored the fi nal six points of that fourth-quarter run. “But then Coach talked to us at halftime and we really got juiced. Second half, we came out strong and ended up getting the win.
“Talk on defense and go through our sets on offense,” he said of the keys to the second half. “At first, we were trying to drive, score, shoot and weren’t really trying to find the great pass, kick — all that. But, second half, we really did a good job on both ends.”
Jalen Joiner, who’s gotten interest from a number of Division I mid-majors, scored 16 points to lead Piedmont Classical (15-2), ranked No. 14 in the state over-all by MaxPreps and No. 1 in the Carolina Athletic Association for Schools of Choice. Trent McIntyre added 12 points.
The Bobcats — playing with-out injured standout Shakeel Moore, who’s being recruited by teams like Wake Forest and several mid-majors — capitalized on a handful of turnovers and misses by Wesleyan in the final minutes to pull within eight. But Piedmont Classical, which also features Tim Kelly Jr. as an assistant coach, couldn’t get any closer.
“With all due respect to our opponents, we’ve felt like we’ve been in ever y game and we’ve had opportunities to win every game,” said Lee, who is in his first season leading the program. “And it’s just been a matter of a stretch here or a stretch there. So, once again, it’s just a part of that learning curve.
“We’re tr ying to get these guys to embrace putting together consecutive positive plays, a stretch of good defense, a stretch of good offense and then pairing those things together. That’s how you’re able to build leads and get separation. We haven’t been able to do that, but credit to our opponents.
“We’ve played some really good teams, and then shame on us sometimes for shooting ourselves in the foot by making mis-takes that hurt us. But a win is a win. We’re ver y happy with that result, and it’s something we can continue to build on.”
The Trojans, ranked No. 7 among NCISAA 4A teams and No. 83 in the state overall, will next play Tri-City Christian — which Wesleyan beat 71-68 on Friday on the road — on Thursday at home at 6 p.m.
WESLEYAN CHRISTIAN BOYS 65, PIEDMONT CLASSICAL 57
PC 17 9 13 18 – 57
WCA 15 14 18 18 – 65
PIEDMONT CLASSICAL : Jalen Joiner 16, Trent McIntyre 12, Miller 9, Joyner 5, Rogers 5, Poindexter 2, Farrish 2, Brown 2, Bynum 2, Hogsett 2
WESLEYAN CHRISTIAN : Aisaiah Phillips 16, Luke Davis 13, Kaleb Brooks 10, Jacob Chrapliwy 10, Greene 8, Wiggins 4, Patterson 4
mlindsay@hpenews.com@HPEmichae
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — Wesleyan Christian has made slow but overall steady progress toward playing its best as a team. Monday against Piedmont Classical was an good exampleof that. The Trojans muddled through an OK first half before upping their playduring key stretches of the second half to pull away and beat the Bobcats 65-57 at Wesleyan in a meeting of two of the area’s top boys basketball programs.
“I’m never going to complain about a victory,” Wesleyan coach C.J. Lee said. “I’m proud of the way our guys competed, in the sense of the outcome. I was not pleased with the play throughout the 32 minutes. A lot of that had to do with low energy, low communication. And that is something we’ve been preaching with our guys consistently probably since the start of the new year.
“It’s amazing to me how, with this group of young men, it’s not really about strategy or tactics. It’s more about the communication and energy leading to a connected team. There are stretches where we’re just not as connected as we need to be. But credit Piedmont Classical — they’re having a tremendous year, and we knew we would get their best shot.”
Aisaiah Phillips scored 16 points to lead the Trojans (9-6), who led by seven points in each of the second and third quarters before watching those leads dwindle to three each time. Luke Davis added 13 points, followed by Kaleb Brooks and Jacob Chrapliwy with 10 points apiece.
Wesleyan closed the third with five straight points to lead 47-39 and, despite a stretch of five turnovers in seven possessions, went on a 9-2 run early in the fourth to turn a six-point game intoa 13-point game with 4:18 left — thanks in large part to defense, rebounding and a handful of timely baskets.
“First half, we came out soft, came out dry. We were only up by like four pointsat halftime,” said Phillips, a sophomore guard who scored the fi nal six points of that fourth-quarter run. “But then Coach talked to us at halftime and we really got juiced. Second half, we came out strong and ended up getting the win.
“Talk on defense and go through our sets on offense,” he said of the keys to the second half. “At first, we were trying to drive, score, shoot and weren’t really trying to find the great pass, kick — all that. But, second half, we really did a good job on both ends.”
Jalen Joiner, who’s gotten interest from a number of Division I mid-majors, scored 16 points to lead Piedmont Classical (15-2), ranked No. 14 in the state over-all by MaxPreps and No. 1 in the Carolina Athletic Association for Schools of Choice. Trent McIntyre added 12 points.
The Bobcats — playing with-out injured standout Shakeel Moore, who’s being recruited by teams like Wake Forest and several mid-majors — capitalized on a handful of turnovers and misses by Wesleyan in the final minutes to pull within eight. But Piedmont Classical, which also features Tim Kelly Jr. as an assistant coach, couldn’t get any closer.
“With all due respect to our opponents, we’ve felt like we’ve been in ever y game and we’ve had opportunities to win every game,” said Lee, who is in his first season leading the program. “And it’s just been a matter of a stretch here or a stretch there. So, once again, it’s just a part of that learning curve.
“We’re tr ying to get these guys to embrace putting together consecutive positive plays, a stretch of good defense, a stretch of good offense and then pairing those things together. That’s how you’re able to build leads and get separation. We haven’t been able to do that, but credit to our opponents.
“We’ve played some really good teams, and then shame on us sometimes for shooting ourselves in the foot by making mis-takes that hurt us. But a win is a win. We’re ver y happy with that result, and it’s something we can continue to build on.”
The Trojans, ranked No. 7 among NCISAA 4A teams and No. 83 in the state overall, will next play Tri-City Christian — which Wesleyan beat 71-68 on Friday on the road — on Thursday at home at 6 p.m.
WESLEYAN CHRISTIAN BOYS 65, PIEDMONT CLASSICAL 57
PC 17 9 13 18 – 57
WCA 15 14 18 18 – 65
PIEDMONT CLASSICAL : Jalen Joiner 16, Trent McIntyre 12, Miller 9, Joyner 5, Rogers 5, Poindexter 2, Farrish 2, Brown 2, Bynum 2, Hogsett 2
WESLEYAN CHRISTIAN : Aisaiah Phillips 16, Luke Davis 13, Kaleb Brooks 10, Jacob Chrapliwy 10, Greene 8, Wiggins 4, Patterson 4
mlindsay@hpenews.com@HPEmichae
