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Boys Basketball: Saturday’s TF North roundup
Updated: January 7, 2012 8:43PM
Bogan 76, Bloom 64
In a game of heavyweights, one of the smallest players landed the knockout blow.
Bogan senior guard Kendall Wesley scored 18 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, powering No. 11 Bogan over No. 3 Bloom 76-64 in the Bob Hambric Shootout at T.F. North Saturday.
Wesley drilled three three-pointers in the final quarter as the Bengals (14-1) erased a 53-52 Bloom lead after three quarters. With 6:36 remaining in the game, running behind a screen, he shot the ball without hesitation and buried a three-pointer.
After Lejavius Johnson (11 points) hit a three-pointer for Bloom, Wesley sprinted and returned to his favorite spot, the left wing. He got the ball and immediately connected on another three-pointer for a 60-58 Bogan advantage.
“I just remained cool under pressure,” Wesley said. “I like being in those pressure situations.”
Wesley’s third three-pointer with 1:24 left in the game turned out to be the dagger. It was the same spot, same result, and it gave Bogan a 70-64 lead.
Wesley credited teammate DeVaughn Johnson (22 points), whom he said caught the attention of the Bloom defenders and allowed him to get open beyond the arc.
“They were worried about DeVaughn and started focusing on him in the second half,” Wesley said. “I took advantage of it and got open.”
Bloom (13-2) suffered it second consecutive defeat after losing by one point to Rich South Friday night. The Blazing Trojans had good reason to focus on Johnson, who scored 14 points in the first half that kept the Bengals in the game.
“We’re on a mission,” Johnson said. “We think we can lay with any team in the state.”
Senior guard Donald Moore scored 19 points to lead Bloom. Henry Hicks and Nyhree Mitchell scored eight points apiece.
Ronnel Buckner added nine points for the Bengals.
Leo 66, Harlan 52
Leo went on a 13-2 first-quarter run and went on to beat Harlan in the Bob Hambric Shootout at T.F. North.
Point guard Tybias Scott led the Lions (8-6) with 16 points, Sean Moore added 14 and Kerran Braggs and Russell Woods both scored 12.
Leo took a commanding 21-8 lead in the second period.
“(Last year), we would start games slow,” Scott said. “We have been discussing coming out strong and running the other team off the court.”
Harlan clawed back into the game a bit in the second period behind a gutsy performance for Deonte Johnson, who scored a game-high 17 points. Johnson’s three-pointer from the elbow cut the Leo lead to 30-23 with a minute left in the first half.
But the third quarter saw another devastating run by Leo, this one a 15-4 spurt featuring more baskets by Braggs in the post and an alley-oop slam by Woods. The Lions extended their lead to 49-31 with 2:45 left in the period.
“We were able to establish position down low,” Braggs said. “It’s all about hitting the weight room and playing with determination.”
“This is the type of win that builds up your confidence,” Scott said. “When you control a game like this, it really builds team chemistry.”
La Lumiere (Ind.) 65, Farragut 51
La Lumiere didn’t get any offense from newly arrived transfer Jalen James on Saturday, but the Lakers didn’t need any either.
James, a University of Illinois recruit who recently transferred from Hope Academy, did not score in the win over Farragut in the Bob Hambric Shootout at T.F. North.
James, who entered the game in the final minute of the first quarter, said his move didn’t alter his focus.
“No, no distraction at all,” James said about the transfer. “It was a decision I had to make, and it was the right decision for me. I’m happy to be at LaLumiere.”
Lavell Boyd scored a game-high 18 points for Farragut (7-4), including a three-pointer from the left baseline that gave the Admirals a 16-14 lead with 5:30 left in the first half.
Indiana recruit Hanner Perea scored 17 points to lead La Lumiere (14-2), which pulled away after a low-scoring first half.
Perea scored seven points in the third quarter, while Farragut struggled offensively and didn’t get its first basket till there was 2:21 left in the period.
A three-pointer by Antonio Drummond (12 points) with 2:46 left in the third period gave the Lakers a 45-29 lead. But Farragut didn’t consider the day a total loss.
“Playing a program like LaLumiere gives you confidence for the rest of the year,” said senior forward Rashaun Stimage. “It reveals your mistakes and what you need to improve on. They’re just a really good team.”
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