A real 3-for-all

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: January 7, 2019

White Plains ‘Splash Brothers’ Wheeler, Shadrix lead Wildcats in 3-fest with Cleburne County; Weaver runs past Wellborn

Jacob Wheeler hit four 3-pointers for White Plains Monday, but he also scored eight points inside the arc. On the cover, Wheeler, Simeon Shadrix (11), Quin Wilson (5) and Matthew Clay (21) hit 10 of the Wildcats’ 11 3-pointers against Cleburne County. (Photos by B.J. Franklin)

Monday’s scores
Weaver 74, Wellborn 30
White Plains 81, Cleburne County 48

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

When the White Plains basketball team shoots 3-pointers the way it did Monday afternoon, the Wildcats are hard to beat.

Led by their version of the ‘Splash Brothers,’ senior Simeon Shadrix and sophomore Jacob Wheeler, the Wildcats hit 11 3-pointers to pull away from Cleburne County, 81-48.

White Plains’ first five buckets all came from beyond the arc. Shadrix hit the first one and Wheeler hit three in a row. Both had four in the game. Houston Conger, Quin Wilson and Matthew Clay hit the Wildcats’ other three 3s.

“We have been shooting good this year so when it goes in we can score a lot of points,” Wheeler said. “We can all shoot, they just haven’t been falling this year. But they were tonight.”

The 11 total 3s were the most the Wildcats (12-6) have had in a game since draining 12 against Ashville in the opening round of last month’s Champions Christmas Classic. And they legitimately could have had more as several attempts rattled in and out of the cylinder and at least two other jumpers came from just inside the arc counting 2.

“If we make the first few we get confidence going,” Wheeler said. “I felt like I could shoot it from anywhere it’s going in.”

Cleburne County wasn’t left out; the Tigers (2-13) hit seven 3-pointers. Noah Lindsey, Chase Smith and Ben Casey each had two and Christian Sears hit the other. The first seven field goals of the game were all 3-pointers.

“I thought it would be a long-range game if both teams got in rhythm,” Cleburne County coach Ron Ervin said.

The original Splash Brothers, of course, are NBAers Steph Curry and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors. No one can quite pinpoint who first coined it for Wheeler and Shadrix, but it’s generally believed to have come about three weeks ago during a drill when they two gunners couldn’t seem to miss.

“It just kind of happened,” Shadrix said.

“That’s pretty good,” Randall said. “That’s kind of their forte; they shoot the 3 really well. They’re a long way from the original Splash Brothers, they still have some work to do before they catch up with Steph and Klay, but they sure did shoot it well tonight. We’re proud of them.”

White Plains 81, Cleburne County 48
CLEBURNE COUNTY (2-13) – A.J. Brown 1 4-6 6, Noah Lindsey 3 4-6 12, Chase Smith 4 5-7 15, Tyren Robinson 0 0-0 0, Christian Sears 1 0-0 3, Hudson Miller 0 0-0 0, Laterance Mackey 1 0-2 2, Manny Rollins 0 0-0 0, Ben Casey 3 2-2 10, Sam Adams 0 0-0 0, Jalen Momon 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 15-23 48.
WHITE PLAINS (12-6) – Coleman Messer 0 0-0 0, Houston Conger 3 1-1 8, Quin Wilson 2 0-0 5, Jaden Chatman 1 0-0 2, Simeon Shadrix 5 0-0 14, Jacob Wheeler 7 2-2 20, Brody Baker 4 2-3 10, Matthew Clay 1 1-2 4, Jaden Harris 3 5-8 11, Kahlil Williams 1 1-3 3, Gavin Burrage 2 0-0 4. Totals 29 12-19 81.
Cleburne County 13 10 12 13 – 48
White Plains 22 21 14 24 – 81
3-point goals: Cleburne County 7 (Lindsey 2, Smith 2, Sears, Casey 2); White Plains 11 (Conger, Wilson, Shadrix 4, Wheeler 4, Clay). Fouled out: Williams. Total fouls: Cleburne County 18, White Plains 21. Officials: Burroughs, Collins, Phillips.

WEAVER 74, WELLBORN 30

WEAVER – Shamar Spinks scored 14 points, most in transition, in the first quarter and finished with 18 to lead four Weaver scorers in double figures.

DeAndre McCain and Amardric Elston, the two late-game heroes in the Bearcats’ win over White Plains Friday night, both had big third quarters. McCain scored 10 of his 12 in the quarter and Elston scored nine of his 15 there. Robert Gaines also scored in double figures for Weaver.

Khavion Wesley led Wellborn with 19 points. Lewis Patterson (five) and Max Searcy (six) scored the Panthers’ other points.

Weaver 74, Wellborn 30
WELLBORN (0-13) – Khavion Wesley 8 2-4 19, Justin Berry 0 0-0 0, Lewis Patterson 2 0-0 5, Max Searcy 1 3-5 6, Glen Oliver 0 0-0 0, Austin Gamble 0 0-0 0, Tae Traylor 0 0-0 0, Robert Broom 0 0-0 0, Harley Kendall 0 0-0 0, Logan Grubbs 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 5-9 30.
WEAVER (13-4) – Taylor Deck 0 1-2 1, Brandon Heath 1 0-2 2, Robert Gaines 4 1-1 11, Shamar Spinks 9 0-2 18, Gary Wallace 1 1-1 3, Marcello D’Ambrosio 1 5-6 7, DeAndre McCain 6 2-4 14, Amardric Elston 7 1-2 15, Colby Thompson 1 0-0 3. Totals 30 11-20 74.
Wellborn 6 6 13 5 – 30
Weaver 20 12 28 14 – 74
3-point goals: Wellborn 3 (Wesley, Patterson, Searcy); Weaver 3 (Gaines 2, Thompson). Fouled out: Patterson. Total fouls: Wellborn 13, Weaver 6. Officials: Robinson, Brumbelow, Oden.