For Watson Chapel’s boys basketball team, the Wildcats started the game like they had practiced during the week — something coach Matt Busch did not appreciate.
“We hadn’t practiced well this week,” Busch said. “If you don’t practice well, it’s going to catch up with you.”
But after Sheridan jumped out to an early 12-point lead, the Wildcats (4-1) regained their composure and won 49-31.
“Our guys just learned a valuable lesson,” Busch said of the win. “If you don’t practice well, you won’t play well. We kind of found our groove in the second half.”
That roll started in the first quarter. A four-point play by Dylan Morris with 3 minutes and 7 seconds left in the quarter gave the Yellowjackets a 17-5 lead.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Watson Chapel used a 7-0 run to end the first frame and a 10-4 advantage in the second quarter to take a 22-21 lead into the locker room at halftime. That lead grew to 10 by the end of the third quarter and an 8-0 run in the first 3:30 of the fourth quarter all but put the game away for the Wildcats.
With 4:22 left in the third quarter, Sheridan cut the lead to two at 27-25, but that was as close as it would get in the second half. The Wildcats answered with a 10-0 run to regain the momentum, highlighted by a vicious one-hand dunk by T.J. Handley.
JoviOne Bailey led Watson Chapel with 17 points, while Rodney Ollison poured in 11. Ramone Goings also got into double figures with 10 points.
The story for Watson Chapel’s surge ahead was defense, which was orchestrated by assistant coach Rodney Echols. The Wildcats used a full-court pressure defense for most of the game, which led to turnovers in the Yellowjackets’ backcourt.
“We put a lot of effort in at practice,” Echols said of the press. “The kids learn what to do in the run-and-jump and being aggressive.”
And for Watson Chapel’s players, Echols said the Wildcats can also enjoy applying pressure and converting turnovers into points.
“They enjoy it,” Echols said. “They want to run, jump and get up and down the floor. They want to create an atmosphere of enjoyment with layups and dunks.”
The Yellowjackets were led by Morris, who finished with 13 points. He went cold after his four-point play in the first quarter though, scoring just two points in the last three quarters of the game.
Watson Chapel moves forward with a 3 p.m. Monday game against Texarkana in the El Dorado tournament.