Boys basketball: Coleman, Wilson lead 22-0 Waubonsie Valley over Metea
Waubonsie Valley kept its impressive start to the season going Friday as senior Tyreek Coleman led the way with 22 points in a 62-39 win over Metea Valley on Friday night in Aurora.
The Warriors (22-0, 6-0) held a pregame ceremony to recognize Coleman for eclipsing 1,000 career points. He achieved this mark last week in their victory over Stevenson.
“It’s amazing. It’s a goal I wanted to accomplish when I got bumped up to varsity,” said Coleman. “So for me to have made it happen is just a testament to what I have been working towards. It was a huge moment for me and I'm glad I got to celebrate it with my guys and my family here on our home court.”
Coleman certainly had the home crowd on his side, as the student section roared each time he touched the ball. Waubonsie Valley coach Andrew Schweitzer credits his senior’s commitment to the X’s and O’s as the reason Coleman has been able to make such an impact for his squad.
“Obviously he’s a freak athlete. He can shoot the ball, he’s highly skilled. All that stuff’s great,” said Schweitzer. “But his basketball IQ? He understands the game, he understands angles, he understands how to get others involved. He can really just control the flow of the game. He’s a master at that.”
Coleman and the Warriors jumped out immediately in this one, as they nailed back-to-back three-point shots on their opening two possessions.
Coleman scored 9 first-quarter points and credits a grueling practice schedule for keeping Waubonsie Valley rolling as they continue to get the very best shot from every DuPage Valley Conference rival they meet.
“Practices are super competitive, our gameplans and how we prepare as a team,” said Coleman. “We wanted to go out there and be able to come out with a victory.”
Along with Coleman, the Warriors were led by senior Moses Wilson who added 10 points, and really made his presence felt on the defensive end and in transition.
“He impacts the game in every way. Another high IQ basketball player,” said Schweitzer. “He’s our best communicator on defense. He knows what’s going on, he’s covering other people’s holes.
“And then offensively?” Schweitzer continued. “He’s taken another step. He’s a guy that we can go to. He’s a creator. He can create his own. He can hit shots."
Coleman also recognizes the importance of Wilson’s contributions on both ends.
“He brings a lot of diversity to our offense," said Coleman. "Defensively? He leads us in all the plays he makes. He’s typically leading breaks off steals and rebounds.”
The Warriors made it look easy most of the way on Friday, cruising to a 40-25 halftime advantage.
However, the Mustangs (11-9, 2-4) did give them a challenge in the third quarter as Metea Valley senior Tyler Miller hit his stride, scoring 5 of his 14 points in quick succession.
“We can’t get complacent,” said Coleman. “We started putting up some bad shots, kinda rushing on offense and not playing good defense. It was just mental mistakes and mental lapses that we know we’ve got to pick up if we want to be a great team.”
The Warriors were quick to lock back in after a timeout and a pair of dunks from Wilson. They got back on track and rolled the rest of the way.
As they build their playoff resume and begin to anticipate a trip down state, they will be focused on eliminating those lapses. They will face their biggest challenge yet Saturday when they take on a 20-win Marist team at 2:30 p.m. at Benet.
“We gotta come out prepared, they’re going to give it to us,” said Coleman. “Every team wants to beat us and be the team to give us that first loss. So we just gotta come out there with a different goal about us and be ready to work. It’s gonna be a tough night.”