WCDS sweeps RMA in Homecoming

By Gabe Whisnant
Published in Sports on February 13, 2005 2:02 AM

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Momentum builders.

On Homecoming, Wayne Country Day's basketball teams swept Rocky Mount Academy convincingly with double-digits win in their regular-season finales.

With four players with 15 or more points, the Charger men sprinted out to a huge, first-period lead and never looked back in a 92-67 victory over the Eagles. WCDS (16-6 overall, 6-3 Coastal Plains Independent 1-A/2-A) locked up a first-round bye in the CPIC tournament as the two-seed and will travel to Rocky Mount to face the winner of Kerr-Vance and Halifax Academy in the semifinals on Friday.

"We had to do a lot of soul searching after losing to Greenfield on Tuesday like we did," Wayne Country Day men's coach Randy Tilley said. "We wanted to regroup and the kids have really been stressing getting back to our team chemistry and sponging off each other."

The women's game saw the Lady Chargers take complete control after intermission, turning a 28-20 deficit into a 46-37 win. In the second half, WCDS outscored RMA 25-9.

Guard Tiara Broadie poured in a career-high 29 points -- 63 percent of her team's scoring. Broadie's quickness proved too much for the Eagles' guards up top and in transition as she consistently created open lanes with dribble penetration. Christin Grubb added nine points for the third-place Chargers (13-12, 7-3 CPIC), who host Greenfield Tuesday at home at 7 p.m. in the first round of the tournament

"The girls are really playing with a lot of intensity. We are just looking forward to the conference tournament and hopefully getting a shot at the state tournament," WCDS women's game Toni Ingram said.

In the men's game, Charger senior Spenser Briggs led all scorers with 28 points, while junior Adam Wright provided 21. Oscar Ball and Phillip Weeks added 15 points each for WCDS. Wright and Weeks drilled three, 3-pointers as Briggs and Balls nailed two each from long range.

Briggs and Wright combined for 32 points in the first half, also demonstrating the ability to score down low consistently. The duo took advantage of good passes from up top by Ball, Kevin Logan and Tavon Waters and often powered their way to the basket.

"We practice swinging the ball and working the ball inside," Wright said. "It's all about hard work in practice and going up in the weight room."

The Chargers busted the game open in the late stages of the first period -- creating three turnovers leading to three easy baskets on their way to a 27-8 near the one-minute mark. Led by Mike Schmitt and Garrett Bunch, Rocky Mount's offense improved in the second period, but the deficit proved to be too large to mount any serious comeback threats. WCDS' 15-point halftime lead proved to be as close as the Eagles would get.

Weeks came on strong off of the bench after intermission -- making three from behind the arc on his way to 15 points and a season-high. The Chargers never scored less than 19 points in a single period.

"We had quit running our lanes the last week and a half. Tonight we put a lot of pressure on their defense to get back," Tilley said.

Rocky Mount Academy's leading scorer Mike Schmitt notched a team-best 25 points, while teammate Garrett Bunch added 18 points.

In the women's game, the Chargers' Laura Ziemer put-back a miss with one minute left in the first half to cap a 10-0 run to tie the game at 20-20. Ziemer's basket proved to be the only field goal by anyone other than Broadie in the first half. Following Ziemer's make, RMA answered with an 8-0 spurt of its own as it took a 28-20 lead into the second half.

Trailing 35-30 with 1:50 left in the third, the Chargers outscored the Eagles 16-2 in the final ten minutes of the game. In the last two periods, getting to the free throw line proved key for WCDS as it shot seven-for-11 after the break. On the game, Rocky Mount shot just two free throws and didn't manage a make.

Elaine Holland led the Eagles with 10 points.

The Eagles managed just nine points in the third as Broadie and the Chargers trailed just 35-34 after three. Early in the fourth, Grubb knocked down a jumper, before a three-point play the hard way by Tiara Broadie quickly gave WCDS a 39-35 advantage. The Chargers never trailed again.

"We couldn't have lost this game tonight. It was our seniors last game. We were missing shots, but it didn't stop us," Broadie said. "I had to step up and be a leader for my seniors. Whenever we stop and relax and play our game we are successful."

At halftime of the men's game, WCDS senior guard Mimi Bridgers was crowned Homecoming Queen for 2005.