Warriors wear down Deep Creek
Published 8:15 pm Saturday, January 19, 2013
Among the things the Nansemond River High School boys’ basketball team does well are rebounding — to the tune of more than 17 per game — and blocking shots — averaging 11 per game.
On Friday, they did both of those things well in a 60-49 win over the visiting Deep Creek Hornets. The Warriors out-rebounded their guests 63 to 34, including 26 on offense, and they got their average of 11 swatted shots.
In a three-win week, the Warriors grabbed 147 rebounds and blocked 43 shots.
“It’s the most consistent things we do,” coach Ed Young said. “At times, we play great defense and sometimes run a textbook fast break, but rebounding and blocking shots are an every-game guarantee.”
Playing their third game in four days, the Warriors showed some early mental and physical fatigue. Nansemond River struggled to a 13-10 advantage after the first quarter and after an early second-quarter 9-0 run, the Warriors let the Hornets take a 22-21 advantage in the second quarter behind the play of D’andre Mullen, Marcellus Perkins and Jarron Burnell, who combined for 24 of their team’s 31 points.
In a previous 64-48 win over the Hornets at Deep Creek, the Warriors held Mullen to a season-low two points, but he had 10 at halftime, which is his average.
Both teams showed some sloppy play in the third quarter, as the Warriors held an 11-9 advantage NR substitutions began to wear the Hornets down.
The fourth quarter saw the Warriors pull away as the Hornets missed shots in bunches and the Warriors grabbed nearly every rebound and blocked nearly every third shot attempt. The Hornets made three of 15 shots in the last quarter, while Nansemond River made five of 10 shots and six of eight free throws to put the game away.
Ed Drew finished had 11 points, 15 rebounds and three blocked shots. Devon Oakley had 16 points, three assists, three steals and five rebounds. Scott Spencer had 12 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots. Point guard Khali Carroll dished 10 assists and had 4 steals. Kendric Washington had 13 rebounds and four blocked shots to go with his four points.
Nansemond River, now 15-2 (12-1 in SED play), is off until Friday, when the team travels to Hickory.