Larkin races past Bartlett in 2nd half
There are times when halftime ties don't feel particularly comforting.
After starting the game on an 11-0 run through the first 4-plus minutes, Larkin's double-digit lead turned into a 26-26 halftime deadlock against Bartlett Friday night.
"A lot of times as a coach those are the worst halftimes because you feel like maybe you should be up by more (points)," said Larkin coach Deryn Carter. "But we probably didn't execute as well as we should have which is why they (the Hawks) took advantage of some situations."
Larkin (9-14, 6-6) responded with a vengeance, outscoring Bartlett 44-28 over the final 16 minutes during its 70-54 Upstate Eight Conference victory in Bartlett.
Junior Jashon Johnson-Neals, senior Victor Perez and freshman Damari Wheeler-Thomas combined for 53 points, 20 of them coming in the third quarter when the Royals outscored the Hawks 24-9.
"It looked like we got our rhythm offensively but it started on the defensive end," said Carter, whose team forced 4 third-quarter turnovers. "It has always been a staple of what we do - trying to get stuff on the defensive end."
Wheeler-Thomas (16 points) connected on a pair of 3-point baskets in the first couple minutes of the third quarter while Perez (16 points, 3 steals) nailed a 3-pointer from the key and Johnson-Neals (game-high 21 points) added a 3-point play during the Royals' 12-2 surge that extended the lead to 38-28.
After the Hawks (9-13, 4-8) cut the deficit to 39-33 on the third of four 3-point baskets from sophomore guard Clark Lewis (14 points), Larkin closed out the third quarter on an 11-2 run to make it 50-35.
The late run included a 3-pointer by Johnson-Neals and back-to-back buckets from Perez, highlighted by a Euro-step driving layup.
"Our defense started it all," said Johnson-Neals, who added 5 rebounds, 5 assists and a pair of steals. "Coach always talks about the three E's - energetic, enthusiasm and energy. That's what we had."
Johnson-Neals also made 7 of 9 free throws as the Royals got to the foul line 16 times - making 12.
"I can go off the drive real quickly and that's when I get to the rim," said Johnson-Neals.
Senior reserve guard Anthony Ramirez capped the night by draining a 3-pointer in the final minute as the Royals notched their second straight win.
"I liked the way our guys responded in the second half," said Carter. "We got a couple guys back. This was Pierre Black's first game back (from an injury). We got him a couple minutes here and there."
Austin Gates added 14 points and 8 rebounds for the Hawks.
"We came out flat and soft in the beginning of the game," said Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith. "In the third quarter, we came out flat offensively and then toward the end of the third quarter we just stopped.
"We started throwing the ball away. Those guys (the Royals) feed off of that. The minute you start showing signs of weakness, they'll go right for the jugular."