Fishburne PG Hoops wins a good one against NIA Prep
Article by The News Virginian. Additional photos by FMS Communications
Fishburne clamps down in win
ROSANNE WEBER/STAFF
Center Pari Armane battles an NIA Prep defender Thursday in Fishburne’s 91-72 win in Waynesboro.
Published: December 18, 2009
On a night when offense stole the show, it was defense that won the game. The Fishburne Military School post-graduate basketball team put up 55 points in an electrifying first-half, but it was the commitment to team defense that allowed the Caissons to defeat nationally acclaimed NIA Prep of Newark, N.J. on Thursday afternoon 91-72.
While the Caissons put on a fast-break basketball clinic in the first twenty minutes, Coach Ed Huckaby was most proud of his teams defensive effort against a prominent prep program that came in averaging over 100 points a game.
“I am completely happy with our effort tonight, especially on the defensive end. We defended as a unit and played as a team all night,” Huckaby said. “We got contributions from guys that don’t show up in the stat book.”
The Caissons’ offense got jumpstarted in the first-half by Donte Morales, a Mount Saint Mary’s signee, who hit five 3s en route to 19 first-half points. Morales kept the Caissons in it early as he trade punches offensively with NIA Prep star Kevin Ohen, who scored 24 of his team’s 38 points in the first-half.
Fishburne got a tremendous lift from Quincy Taylor, a point guard who seamlessly runs the transition offense. Taylor stole the ball and finished on the other end at one point in the game with a tough, contested, one-hand jam.
“I told the guys that I was going to get one, but I don’t think they believed me,” Taylor said. “When I got the steal, I knew I was going to dunk it.”
The jam further energized a motivated team that took a 55-38 lead to the locker room.
The Caissons started the second half with a concentrated effort to slow down Ohen and thanks to the people stepping up throughout the lineup, Fishburne held the talented guard to six points the rest of the way.
“We got great effort from Arty (Arthur) Bell, Trey (Johnny) Beverly, and Donte on the defensive end and they did a great job slowing down Ohen who can score in a variety of ways,” Huckaby said.
Morales led Fishburne with 27 points while Joel Brokenbrough added 18. NIA Prep was led by Ohen with a game-high 30.
Below Photos by FMS Communications:
