Blog Hoops Blog: Phoebus 60, Woodside 53 - FINAL

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Greetings from Woodside High School in Newport News on this Tuesday night as the Woodside Wolverines (2-1) - ranked No. 9 in our Class 6 Top Ten at the start - play host to the Phoebus Phantoms (2-0) - ranked No. 3 in our Class 3 Top Ten.

We'll have Updates, Stats and more throughout the night here and on Twitter @ hatfieldsports

 

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Woodside has come out real geeked up to play in this one, jumping out to a 7-0 lead as they've capitalized on four turnovers by the visiting Phantoms. Not only have the guards with Kahleef Jimmison, Quishaun Brevard and Kuron Coleman been steady out of the gate, but big fella Matthew Nunez - one of the top sophomores in the state - is active in the early going in the paint.

 

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Woodside hit a pair of 3's the first few minutes of the game, but they've cooled off considerably, missing six of their last seven shots from the field. Four different Phantoms have gone to the foul line, and it's allowing Head Coach James Daniel to also go into his bench a bit.

 

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Phoebus has settled in, while Woodside is in a funk offensively after a fine start. Coach Stefan Welsh will need to make some adjustments, and possibly go to a different lineup, to see if that swings the tide for a team that is starting to see the fouls pile up more than they'd like.

 

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Scott is proving to be the 'super sub' for Coach Stefan Welsh this evening. However, Phoebus answers with a trey of their own courtesy of Antwan Edwards off the bench.

The action is picking up now as both teams were called for 9 team fouls each for the half by the 4:30 mark of the 2nd quarter. The depth for Phoebus could be a factor as this one moves along.

Woodside goes back up - 20-18 - on a 3-point play, the old-fashioned way, from junior guard Kahleef Jimmison.

 

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Jimmison is a perfect 7-of-7 from the charity stripe for Woodside, which trails Phoebus 26-24 as we tick under a minute to go in this first half.

 

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Good back-and-forth action to conclude the first half.

The difference so far? Quishaun Brevard - one of Woodside's top playmakers and scorers - has been held scoreless. Also, Phoebus has seen eight different individuals hit the scoring column compared to 5 for the Wolverines.

 

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Khyree Temple was relatively quiet offensively, like Brevard, for Phoebus in that half. Look for both to be more heavily involved in the 2nd half, and the key could be the job that the 6'11" center Matt Nunez does inside for Woodside on the boards against Detionne Leach, a rebound machine for the visiting Phantoms.

 

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Tough one at the 6:54 mark of the 3rd period as Woodside center Matt Nunez is whistled for his 3rd foul. Coach Stefan Welsh - a former two-time State Champion winning player for the Wolverines who went on to play at Arkansas - decides to leave him in the game. He knows it's critical they don't let things get away from them, especially with Phoebus having two big bodies in the contest in Detionne Leach (who is actually nicknamed 'Big Body') and Adrian Payton.

Nunez makes it pay off initially as Quishaun Brevard feeds Nunez down low for the deuce.

Time-out on the floor and Phoebus leads Woodside 30-29 with 5:52 left in the period.

 

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Now the Phantoms need to get their starters going because the bench has nearly as many points - 13 - as the 18 points combined by the five players that began the game as well as this 3rd period.

 

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3:01 to go 3rdQ - Phoebus takes the lead back from Woodside, 34-32, as Antwan Edwards is left wide open from long distance and knocks down his 4th trey of the game.

 

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From above, the translation = get Temple more touches. With All-State guard Antwan Miles having graduated and moved on to nationally-ranked Division II program Virginia State University, the Phantoms will need to put the ball in Temple's hands more in crunch time of games.

 

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The big question becomes when does Woodside re-insert Matt Nunez in the game?

 

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Tough acrobatic drive by Woodside junior guard Quishaun Brevard, who i shaken up on the play with 7:13 remaining as his team trails Phoebus 43-39. After about a minute or so, he gets up woozy to say the least. His night could be over, potentially checking for concussion.

 

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Leach is certainly a difference-maker inside for the Phantoms. In our 10th Annual VirginiaPreps.com Classic last January, he finished with 14 points and 19 rebounds in an overtime loss to Loudoun Valley. Quite frankly, the main reason they lost that game was because Loudoun Valley got such a sterling performance from Jordan Miller - who's now at George Mason - with 33 points and 13 boards.

 

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This is the biggest lead of the night for Phoebus.

Quietly, Mahir Sharif - a new face to the Phantoms from Pennsylvania this year in their backcourt - has 7 points, 5 assists and 3 steals. He's stabilized them here in this 4th quarter. Quishaun Brevard has returned for Woodside, but is still looking for his first basket of the night.

 

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Phoebus with 10 offensive rebounds compared to just 4 for Woodside. That ability to get 2nd shots has extended possessions for the Phantoms, enabling them to continue to attack and get to the foul line.

 

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This is where Phoebus misses Antwan Miles to help burn clock, handle the ball and make good decisions as well as salt the game away at the free-throw line.

 

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Strangely enough here with 51.6 seconds to go - it appears a Technical Foul has been called on Woodside, trailing 54-50. Shakir Dawan hits 1 of 2 free-throws and the Phantoms maintain possession.

Now Mahir Sharif will shoot a pair of free-throws with 48 seconds to go to look to make it a three-possession lead for the visitors from Phoebus.

 

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Woodside will apply the full-court pressure, but if Phoebus takes care of the ball and can break it, they should get a pair of free-throws since they're in the double bonus.

 

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Big rejection from Khyree Temple, moments after a pair of free-throws are knocked down by Shakir Dawan.

Phoebus has the ball and they lead it 58-53 with 10.2 seconds to play, in great position to finish this one off to move to 3-0 overall.

 

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More to come later...