Offense off? Play good D

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: November 24, 2015

With its shot not falling, White Plains picks up the defensive intensity to get past Sylacauga; Lincoln, Anniston, Sacred Heart also win

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

LINCOLN – Usually when the White Plains basketball team doesn’t make a lot of 3-pointers the Wildcats are in for a rough night.

Unless, of course, they come up with something else to make up the difference.

The Wildcats made only one 3-pointer Monday night, and that came early in the fourth quarter “by accident,” and when coach Chris Randall thinks about it they didn’t make many other jump shots either.

But they did do enough other things well to stay on top of Sylacauga and finally put the Aggies away 75-59 in the opening round of the Lincoln Thanksgiving Invitational.

The Wildcats (2-0) will take on Lincoln (3-0) tonight after the host team dumped Ashville 81-55. In the upper part of the bracket, Westbrook Christian beat Moody 69-62 and Pell City beat Winterboro 42-41 at the buzzer.

White Plains is a team that lives off the jump and in its season-opening victory over Faith Christian it hit nine 3-pointers. But Monday night Macy Carr had the Wildcats’ only 3 – and that was “by accident,” Randall said, banking one in out of a timeout with 5:25 left in the game.

“We had good looks, but they just didn’t go down,” Randall said. “It’s going to happen like that some nights and when you’re not shooting it good you better defend and for the most part we did a good job of keeping them out of the lane.

“But I’ll tell you that shot chart is going to be interesting. Everything we made was at the rim or at the free throw line.”

Michael McGuirk led the Wildcats with 17 points, but his production was curtailed by picking up a fourth foul late in the third quarter. Murphy Doss had 15 points and Jarod Guthrie had 12.

Randall continues to be impressed with Lawrence Jackson’s play. Jackson scored eight points and has to knack for filling in anywhere.

“Lawrence is so important to us,” Randall said. “He’s our sixth man and the reason he is is because he plays 1 through 5, so whoever we get aggravated at at the six-minute mark Lawrence is in the game and doesn’t come out again.

“He plays starters’ minutes and he’s tough enough that not starting doesn’t bother him a bit because he’s a team-first guy.”

Lincoln 81, Ashville 55

Dee Whiteside capped off a 23-point night with two uncontested slams in the fourth quarter and Tyler Hemphill went for 21 with five 3-pointers as the Golden Bears improved to 3-0.

REGULAR SEASON

Anniston 50, Parker 38

BIRMINGHAM – The Bulldogs turned up the defense to score their first win of the season.

Anniston held Parker to 13 field goals – seven through the first three quarters — while Davion Tippins (six) and DeQuan Ross combined to block 10 shots.

Trey Croft led the Bulldogs with 20 points and 10 rebounds; he hit four 3-pointers. Ross had 13 points and seven rebounds, while Tippins grabbed eight boards.

Anniston scored nearly as many points in the fourth quarter as it did the first three quarters combined. Croft and Hakeem Ross combined for 15 of the Bulldogs’ 24 points in the fourth quarter.

Sacred Heart 80, Weaver 51

Kevion Nolan scored 32 points and D.J. Heath had 23 and together they outscored Weaver in the Cardinals’ home opener.

Diante Wood added 19 for the Cardinals.

Nolan and Heath combined for half of the Cardinals’ 10 3-pointers as a team. Every player who scored for Sacred Heart had at least one.

Malik Arnold led Weaver with 15 points.

LINCOLN THANKSGIVING INVITATIONAL

White Plains 75, Sylacauga 59
WHITE PLAINS (2-0) – Jerod Guthrie 3 6-7 12, Peyton Morgan 0 0-0 0, Dylan McCareeth 0 0-0 0, Kevin Carr 1 4-5 6, Eli Hightower 1 0-0 2, Michael McGuirk 6 5-6 17, Jackson Guthrie 2 0-0 4, Quez Wyatt 1 0-0 2, Lawrence Jackson 2 4-8 8, Macy Carr 3 2-2 9, Murphy Doss 6 3-7 15, Brett Beaver 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 24-35 75.

SYLACAUGA (1-1) – Devin Dates 1 0-0 2, Keaton Wilson 1 0-0 2, Darian Garrett 5 2-3 14, Jasade Smith 1 0-0 3, Khalil Pope 0 2-4 2, Jeffery Burns 1 1-1 3, Antwane Cook 2 5-8 10, Deonte Smith 1 1-3 3, Antoine Borden 0 0-0 0, Luther Shorter 0 0-0 0, Rheh Aderholt 0 0-0 0, 32 Derrick Carter 4 1-2 9, Malik Crawford 4 2-2 11. Totals 20 14-23 59.

White Plains 19 22 13 21 — 75
Sylacauga 11 14 16 18 — 54

3-point goals: White Plains 1 (M. Carr); Sylacauga 5 (Garrett 2, J. Smith, Cook, Crawford). Fouled out: Doss. Total fouls: White Plains 20, Sylacauga 18. Officials: Burroughs, Watson, Kelley.

Lincoln 81, Ashville 55
ASHVILLE (1-3) – Hunter Huckbay 4 1-2 9, Reazan Wilson 0 0-0 0, D’Angelo Williams 3 2-2 8, Judd Mundy 0 0-0 0, Antonio Pierce 1 2-2 4, Landon Cornutt 1 0-2 2, Noah Cater 3 2-2 9, Zarean Williams 4 0-0 10, Malek Williams 4 4-5 12. Totals 20 11-15 55.

LINCOLN (3-0) – Isaac Davis 1 1-2 4, Zay Caldwell 2 0-2 5, Tyler Hemphill 7 2-2 21, Malik Weed 1 0-0 2, Tarez Ellis 0 1-2 1, Quin Carmichael 5 0-2 10, Dee Whiteside 10 3-9 23, L.J. Carmichael 3 0-0 6, Christyan Prince 1 0-0 2, Donte Rivers 0 3-4 3, Brikeal Truss 0 0-0 0, Savion Woods 1 0-0 2, M. Johnson 1 0-0 2. Totals 32 10-23 81.

Ashville 13 11 19 12 — 55
Lincoln 24 21 17 19 — 81

3-point goals: Lincoln 7 (Davis, Caldwell, Hemphill 5); Ashville 4 (D. Williams, Cater, Z. Williams 2). Total fouls: Ashville 16, Lincoln 14. Officials: Hollingsworth, Watson, Kelley.

REGULAR SEASON

Anniston 50, Parker 38
ANNISTON (1-1) – Marrio Dobbins 0 0-2 0, Tray Croft 5 6-8 20, Hakeem Ross 1 5-6 9, Davion Tippins 0 0-0 0, Willie Thomas 1 4-4 6, Leonard Brown 0 0-0 0, DeQuan Ross 5 2-2 13, Tareeq Wood Packer 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 17-22 50.

PARKER – Xavier Williams 3 4-7 10, Jason King 2 2-2 6, Isiah Anthony 1 0-0 2, Eugene Minter 2 3-4 7, Roderick Womack 2 1-4 6, Quin Patton 0 1-2 1, Joel Ballard 1 0-0 2, Taurus Bell 1 0-0 2, Damoria Jones 1 0-0 2. Totals 13 11-19 38.

Anniston 8 4 14 24 — 50
Parker 10 6 7 15 — 38

3-point goal: Anniston 5 (Croft 4, D. Ross); Parker 1 (Womack). Fouled out: Womack. Total fouls: Anniston 16, Parker 15.

Sacred Heart 80, Weaver 51
WEAVER (0-2) – Delo Forbes 3 2-2 8, Jalen Heath 4 2-4 10, Craig Copeland 1 0-0 2, Maurice Goodman 3 1-3 8, R.J. Wooden 0 0-0 0, Tyrik Hall 0 1-2 1, Giovanni Mosley 3 0-0 2, Malik Arnold 5 5-7 15, Ducky Morris 0 1-2 1. Totals 19 12-20 51.

SACRED HEART (3-2) – Diante Wood 8 0-2 19, Kavarri Ross 1 0-0 3, Sam Miller 0 0-0 0, Murdock Simmons 0 0-0 0, D.J. Heath 10 1-6 23, Caleb Lafollette 0 0-0 0, Stephen Stancil 1 0-0 3, Kevion Nolan 12 5-6 32. Totals 32 6-14 80.

Weaver 9 16 15 11 — 51
Sacred Heart 24 22 19 15 — 80

3-point goals: Weaver 1 (Goodman); Sacred Heart 10 (Wood 3, Ross, Heath 2, Stancil, Nolan 3). Technical fouls: Copeland 2, Ross, Miller, Heath. Fouled out: Mosley, Copeland, Ross, Miller. Total fouls: Weaver 14, Sacred Heart 25. Officials: Wise, Allen.

NEWS TICKER