Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Brian Smith

LaFayette’s defense overwhelmed Wadley, while its offensive firepower kept the home team guessing. From the first few moments of the game, it was obvious on both ends of the basketball court that Wadley was in trouble.

 

After each made basket, LaFayette’s full-court press stressed the Wadley guards. The objective wasn’t just to steal the ball but to get the basketball out of the hands of the Wadley’s best ball handlers. Once players not as well adept at handling the basketball continued to be forced into doing so, that’s when many of Wadley’s live-ball turnovers took place.

 

Turnover, quick outlet, and a bucket. Even two minutes into the contest that scenario started to play out. For instance, Jordan Johnson hit his first big shot of the night from downtown to put LaFayette up 7 to 3. Immediately afterward, the press started to impact Wadley and the turnovers began to pile up.

 

When LaFayette was not creating fastbreak layups from its full-court trapping defense, the offense showcased consistent patience and good passing. Case in point, at the end of the first quarter, good passing led to Quintavious Lloyd hitting a 3-point shot with two seconds remaining in the quarter. 

 

No panic or concern for LaFayette’s offense. Just pass the ball until someone gets open. At the end of one period, LaFayette led 18 to 12 and the onslaught was about to begin.

 

Kemare Harrington drilled a shot from behind the arc and immediately scored a fastbreak layup that stemmed from the pressure defense. 30 seconds into the second stanza and LaFayette went up 23 to 12. 

 

One minute later, Zae’lyn Todd pulled down a rebound and then drew a foul while scoring off the glass. His free throw made it a 9-0 run in less than two minutes. Wadley never truly recovered and seemed out of sorts for much of the rest of the basketball game.

 

Amilleon Huguley was also causing havoc at the front of the press, and playing near the free throw line in the middle of Wadley’s 2-3 zone. He was the best all-around player on the court in the second quarter by playing tough defense and making good decisions to shoot or pass.

 

By halftime, LaFayette led 40 to 25 despite Wadley’s Damarious Spaddling getting to the hoop several times and scoring 19 points for the game. His efforts were not nearly enough. 

 

Huguley started LaFayette’s third quarter by scoring on a top-of-the-key 3-point shot. That’s when the press started to affect Wadley again. Turnovers helped LaFayette extend its lead into the teens and that’s when the offensive philosophy began to change.

LaFayette’s guards kept the basketball near midcourt until Wadley came out of its 2-3 zone. The quickness for LaFayette was too much. Johnson went to work on multiple one-on-one drives for buckets. When he wasn’t driving, Lloyd or another LaFayette player often beat his man off the dribble. Going into the fourth quarter, LaFayette led 55 to 37.

The final period saw much of the same. An up-and-down game continued to favor LaFayette. The visiting Bulldogs never let Wadley feel comfortable the entire game. No question, LaFayette found its stride on both ends of the basketball court.

For the game, Johnson led all scorers with 22 points. LaFayette’s other leading scorers were Lloyd with 19, Harrington at 14, and Huguley with 11.