Quick start propels Bulldogs over WCMS in championship
Eastside’s fifth- and sixth-grade boys shut out Warren County Middle in the first period Thursday night, building all the edge they would need to take the WCMS Invitational championship.
The Pioneers came into the tournament with a 7-3 regular season record, while Eastside finished the season 9-1 with a 46-38 win in Thursday’s final game.
Eastside used its aggressive full-court press to keep the Pioneer offense out of sync in the first period holding WCMS off the score board in the period. Jesse Slaughter put Eastside’s first two points on the board and the Bulldogs were on their way to an 8-0 lead by the end of the period.
WCMS adjusted and solved the problem of the Bulldog press as it worked the ball down court with Alex Lanier finally putting WCMS on the scoreboard. The Pioneers used their own style of back court defense which helped them hold Eastside to 10 points in the second quarter. Cameron Smith had a big quarter as he poured in six of the Pioneers’ 12 points in the period and helped pull WCMS within six by halftime, 18-12.
In the third period WCMS went on a six-point run with 4:39 left in the period and cut the Bulldogs’ lead to two (22-20) with just under three minutes to play in the period. Eastside then hit for eight unanswered points and by the end of the period held a four-point lead at 32-28.
Smith opened the final period of play with a long range 3-pointer to pull the Pioneers within one at 32-31. The big man for Eastside then took control of the game as Morgan Wilcher hit for 12 of his game-high 18 points in the final five minutes of play. The Pioneers stayed in the fight and with 19 seconds left on the clock Smith hit from 3-point range again to pull WCMS within six, but Wilcher answered with two of his own as time ran out giving Eastside the Championship.
For the Bulldogs Wilcher led the way with 18 points. Brian Nigero hit for 10 points, Logan Seamons had six. Tyler Giley, Slaughter and Auston Young added four points each.
For the Pioneers Smith had 18 points with Lanier putting in 10 points. Coty Keel had five, Paul Lawson Prater hit for three and Kevin Johnson added two points.