Wayne Christian rolls past Tigers
By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on January 6, 2010 1:46 PM
Wayne Christian used a complete team effort to beat Trinity of Raleigh 67-52 in Carolina Christian 1-A Conference play on Tuesday evening.
The Eagles certainly needed every able body to slow down the Tigers' one-man wrecking crew, Frank Simme, who scored a game-high 28 points. By changing defenders and playing an 11-man rotation Wayne Christian was able to wear down the Tigers, who played the game with only seven men in uniform.
"We have been trying to get everyone some time when we get the opportunity," said Eagles head coach Franklin Brathwaite. "Once we got to a good start and built a little bit of a lead, we were able to use a lot of different lineups."
The Eagles jumped out to a 14-5 lead in the first four minutes of the game behind six points from Chase King and a lopsided rebounding advantage.
Wayne Christian led by 15 at halftime.
"At times this year we have gotten behind by double digits and weren't able to make it up," said Brathwaite. "It was a good sign to see our guys make some shots early and gain some momentum to carry into the second half."
Simme and the Tigers fought back in the third quarter. The aggressive sophomore swingman scored 10 of his game-high 28 points in the period and Trinity cut the deficit to just seven points.
Wayne Christian regrouped and put the game away midway through the fourth quarter. Taylor Johnson scored five points in the final period as the Eagles consistently converted at the free throw line down the stretch.
"We have been a good fourth-quarter team for most of the season and that showed again tonight," said Brathwaite. "Having some fresh guys at that point in the game is important for us."
King paced the Eagle offense with 13 points. Johnson added 12 points and Luke Howell contributed 11 points. Ten Wayne Christian players scratched in the scoring column.
Wayne Christian (3-7 overall) entertains Wilson Christian on Saturday.