Young's depth comes through vs. Orr

Ahmad Starks read the halftime scoreboard like the rest of his Young teammates and knew Orr was a team to reckon with.

“They were beating us at halftime, and we knew we could not take them for granted,” said Starks, the Dolphins' junior point guard.

But host Young used a 5-0 closing second-quarter run that initiated a 19-5 burst to open the third that ultimately allowed the No. 8 Dolphins to overcome a two-point halftime deficit and elude Orr’s upset bid 67-48 Thursday afternoon.

Behind the hot shooting of freshman Curtis Jones (12 points), the Spartans (13-4, 4-1 Red-West) led by as many as seven points in the second quarter. The Dolphins appeared lethargic and sluggish. They turned the ball over eight times in the second and that was the primary reason they fell behind 24-17 on a turnaround jump shot by Spartan senior Antonio Andrews (10 points).

With just under a minute to play in the second quarter, the Dolphins finally got on track. Senior forward Franklin Griffin (10 points) scored on an inside move. Marcus Jordan (nine points) rebounded a missed free throw and scored to pull the Dolphins within 24-22 at the break.

The charge ignited the Dolphins. They opened the third quarter with an 11-2 burst.

“The ball movement was much better in the second half and as a result the defense was better,” Starks said.

Starks and junior backcourt mate Anthony Johnson both scored 11 points for the Dolphins.

“I know I’m the point guard and I have to distribute the ball,” Starks said. “I know my shots are going to be there and I have to take them when I’m open, but I also have to run the offense.”

Sophomore Sam Thompson continued to show progress. After an excellent fourth quarter against Marshall Tuesday, Thompson scored eight points, grabbed four rebounds and blocked a shot, as Young’s depth finally overwhelmed the Spartans. Nine different Dolphins scored.

Highly promising Orr sophomore Mycheal Henry played just the second half, but showed flashes of his ability with seven points, three rebounds and three blocks.

Young also received promising medical news on senior forward Antonio Johnson, who was injured after his left hand was trapped against the backboard in a play against Marshall on Tuesday.

Young coach Tyrone Slaughter said Johnson suffered only a fracture and is expected to resume practicing in three weeks.