Pioneers triumph sixth straight time
When West coach Phil Daignault talked to his boys basketball team about playing visiting North on Tuesday night, he told them that a win was possible, but it would be close.
"He said, 'If we win, we're winning by one,' " West senior Jamez Jones said. "In the locker room after the game, some of the guys were getting on him about that."
Understandable, but not many would have expected West to end North's five-game winning streak — and extend its own winning streak to six — by beating the Redskins 77-62.
Yes, by 15 points.
"No one thought we'd have six wins, much less six in a row," said Daignault, whose teams won five games combined the past three seasons.
West (7-8, 3-8 City League) shut North down in the second half, allowing 19 points while scoring 43. The Pioneers finished the game with a 20-4 run, shot 53.6 percent and outrebounded North 41-23.
West's Daylin Thomas had 16 rebounds and 17 points, while Jamez Jones finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and Travis Gantt had 16 points.
North had leads of 10 or more in each of the first three quarters, with its biggest lead at 43-30 late in the first half.
Three North players were in double figures at the half after the Redskins 55.9 percent from the floor, 4 of 8 from three.
"We looked good (early)," North coach Gary Squires said. "We got out on the break, we forced some turnovers, we made some shots, got inside-out."
Spencer Robertson finished with North with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Conner Frankamp had 13, Matthew Tolliver 12.
But each time North pulled away, West cut into that lead. Down 27-15 early in the second, West got to within 29-28.
With West trailing 47-37 early in the third, the Pioneers went on a 13-2 run, capped by Jones three-pointer with 1:49 to go in the period for their first lead.
"We have experienced (being behind) since the beginning of the season," Gantt said."... We've been down so many games before, but now we know how to finish and that helps us."
North's last lead, 58-57, came with 4:59 to go on two Chekiel Wright free throws.
That's when West played North's game — using its quickness to break the Redskins' press and get easy baskets.
"That's their game plan," said Gantt, who scored eight straight points late, including twice in transition. "We stole it from them."
West then slowed North by running a half-court trap zone defense. North made 2 of 14 fourth-quarter shots, 1 of 8 from three. West made 9 of 11 in the fourth, 7 of 9 from the free-throw line.
"Our defense was absolutely terrible, and rebounding," Squires said. "We gave up way too many easy baskets and layups."
North (9-6, 6-5) 25 18 10 9—62 West (7-8, 3-8) 15 19 18 25—77
NORTH: Frankamp 5 1-1 13, Tolliver 5 0-0 12, Robertson 7 4-5 18, Wright 3 2-6 9, Brison White 4 0-1 8, Briston White 1 0-0 2. Totals 25 (5) 7-13 62.
WEST: Jones 7 6-7 22, Scruggs 4 0-0 9, Thomas 6 5-8 17, Washington 3 0-0 6, Gantt 7 2-2 16, Flournoy 1 1-2 3, Eatmon 1 0-0 2, Issa 1 0-0 2. Totals 30 (3) 14-19 77.
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