Nansemond River stays perfect
Published 4:18 pm Tuesday, December 31, 2013
The boys’ basketball team from Nansemond River High School improved to 10-0 on the season with a victory in the championship game of the King George Holiday Tournament on Saturday in King George.
A 26-point performance by senior Devon Oakley and a strong second half defense propelled the Warriors to the 63-45 win over host King George High School.
![Junior Kenya Latham of Lakeland High School pushes the ball up court during the Cavaliers' 60-49 Saturday win over Salem High School.](https://www.suffolknewsherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2013/12/IMG_3300-212x300.jpg)
Junior Kenya Latham of Lakeland High School pushes the ball up court during the Cavaliers’ 60-49 Saturday win over Salem High School.
In the first half, Nansemond River allowed the Foxes to shoot 13-of-22 from the floor, 59.1 percent, but they still trailed by only two at halftime, 30-28.
“Third quarter, we came out, put the clamps on them, outscored them 18-9,” Warriors head coach Ed Young said. “A lot of people contributed in that quarter, pretty much.”
Oakley and junior Scott Spencer provided six points apiece during the period.
“A big thing for us was team defense in the second half,” Young said. “We held them to four total field goals in the whole second half, including the two of them they got late in the fourth quarter.”
Young gave special credit on defense to senior Marvin Branch, who he said “really did a great job on Anthony Howard, a 1,000-point scorer for King George who is averaging 23 a game. He ended up with 17, but he only had five points in the second half.”
Oakley achieved the bulk of his game-high 26 points by shooting 7-of-11 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from the three-point line. “He really had a nice game with four assists, five rebounds, two steals, two blocked shots,” Young said.
Spencer had 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks, while senior Daniel Wallace added five points, 11 boards, three blocks and two assists. Senior Jalen Warren chipped in six assists and four steals.
Nansemond River (10-0, 2-0) returns to action Saturday at home in the Xtreme Sports Tip-Off Classic. The Warriors will face Woodside High School with a 9 p.m. tip-off.