Chargers cruise to victory

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on December 11, 2005 2:13 AM

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Hampered by nagging injuries, the Wayne Country Day boys basketball team hadn't played at full strength -- until Friday evening.

Senior guard Tavon Waters and 6-foot-7 center Jeff Franklin finally returned to the hardwood and sparked the Chargers to a 97-67, non-conference victory over Flora MacDonald Academy. Waters poured in 20 points, including 15 from behind the 3-point arc, while Franklin notched 10.

Flora MacDonald's girls avenged their only loss with a 43-24 conquest of the Chargers.

"I thought we played probably our best ball game of the year," said first-year WCDS coach Chad Wiggins. "I said the last game that our defense is starting to pick up and turn (possessions) in transition into easy baskets. (Our) point guards are looking up and starting to become crisp."

The Chargers (7-3) ran their fast break and secondary breaks well, but Wiggins appeared most-pleased with their halfcourt sets. The guards threw the ball over FMA's zone and found numerous open looks either on the perimeter or baseline.

Wayne Country Day buried a season-high 12, 3-pointers, eclipsing the output of nine in a season-opening triumph against county rival Wayne Christian. Overall, the Chargers converted 41 field goals.

Senior Adam Wright (23 points) shouldered the scoring burden during Waters' and Franklin's absence, and returned the favor against the out-manned Cougars. Wright dished out several assists in transition to both players and also to fellow senior Phillip Weeks, who pumped in 15 points.

"It's the first time we've had our complete compliment (of players)," said a grinning Wiggins. "We've been lacking when we play quick teams a little bit of ball handling against the press. And when we play bigger teams, some size down low to help with rebounding. Having both of them back, we gelled.

"It makes everybody else better. The (added) options help open up the court better."

The Chargers built a 22-point lead after one quarter and amassed a season-high 55 points in the opening half.

Six-foot-7 senior Justin Tyson paced Flora MacDonald with a double-double -- 36 points, 16 rebounds. Tyson, a transfer from Lumberton, is getting attention from Division III Methodist and Division II UNC Pembroke and St. Andrews.

The Cougar girls used a box-and-one defense in the guise of a straight man-to-man scheme against senior guard Tiara Broadie, and the Chargers never adapted. FMA held Broadie to a season-low 10 points after she scored 26 in a victory less than two weeks ago in Red Springs.

"We tried to double her (defensively) when she tried to penetrate ... it worked," said veteran Cougars coach Fred Willard. "Broadie is as good a ball player we'll see all year. I thought we could have won at home and was a little disappointed."

Ashley Clark drained the game's first basket -- a 3-pointer -- off Georgia Crow's assist for the Chargers. Flora MacDonald answered with a 10-0 run, capitalizing on Wayne Country Day turnovers and it's inability to generate offense without Broadie.

Willard's team dictated the tempo all evening and forced the Chargers to switch from a zone to man-to-man. Guards Bailey Shook and Kayla Currie found open teammates for back-door baskets with ease, which helped the Cougars (11-1) build on their lead.

Flora MacDonald seized its biggest advantage -- 37-19 -- with four minutes left in regulation.

"The girls did not adjust to the defense and when they stalled the ball, the girls did not 'D' up properly like they've been taught," said second-year Chargers coach Toni Ingram. "We're very young and that's crucial at this point of the season.

"I think we'll be ready down the stretch."

Bailey Shook led a balanced Cougar attack with nine points. Rose Lockamy and Brittany Oxendine each provided eight points, while Currie contributed seven.

Boys game

F. MacDonald 9 17 18 22 -- 67

WCDS 31 24 17 25 -- 97

FLORA MACDONALD (6-6)

Andrew Diemer 1 0 0-0 2, Brandon Castillo 0 0 1-3 1, Daniel McKenzie 2 0 2-4 6, Matt McKenzie 2 1 1-7 8, Travis Wilson 5 0 4-4 14, Justin Tyson 12 2 6-10 36, Austin Shemenski 0 0 0-0 0. TOTALS -- 22 3 14-28 67.

WAYNE COUNTRY DAY (7-3)

Cameron Strickland 1 2 0-0 8, Travis Davis 3 0 0-0 6, Shadoe Stewart 0 0 0-0 0, Kameron Byrd 0 0 0-0 0, Phillip Weeks 4 2 1-2 15, Jeff Franklin 5 0 0-0 10, David Wilson 1 0 1-2 3, Tavon Waters 2 5 1-2 20, Lamar Carpenter 3 0 0-0 6, Adam Wright 7 3 0-0 23, Kyle Pender 2 0 -0 4, Chris Sheniall 1 0 0-0 2. TOTALS -- 29 12 3-6 97.

3-point goals -- FMA 3 (Tyson 2, M. McKenzie), WCDS 12 (Waters 5, Wright 3, Strickland 2, Weeks 2). Turnovers -- FMA 20, WCDS 4. Total fouls -- FMA 6, WCDS 23. Fouled out -- none. Technicals -- Wright.

Girls game

F. MacDonald 10 6 14 13 -- 43

WCDS 3 7 4 10 -- 24

FLORA MACDONALD (11-1)

Bailey Shook 1 2 1-3 9, Brittany Arrington 3 0 0-0 6, Kathleen Wood 0 0 0-0 0, Kayla Currie 3 0 1-3 7, Ashley Miller 0 0 0-0 0, Rose Lockamy 4 0 0-2 8, Kaitlyn Humphrey 0 0 0-0 0, Ashley Semanski 1 0 0-0 2, Brittany Oxendine 3 0 2-4 8, Morgan Shook 0 1 0-0 3. TOTALS -- 15 3 4-10 43.

WAYNE COUNTRY DAY (3-7)

Tiara Broadie 2 2 0-0 10, Georgia Crow 1 0 0-0 2, Ashley Clark 0 2 1-2 7, Sami Schurhammer 0 0 0-0 0, Molly Peacock 0 0 0-2 0, Virginia Best 1 1 0-0 5. TOTALS -- 4 5 1-4 24.

3-point goals -- FMA 3 (B. Shook 2, M. Shook), WCDS 5 (Broadie 2, Clark 2, Best). Turnovers -- FMA 6, WCDS 13. Total fouls -- FMA 6, WCDS 9. Fouled out -- none. Technicals -- none.