By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER N.Y. — The Leadership Academy Lions are no strangers to facing a deficit. Familiarity has made the them all the better.
Rondell Watson paced four in double figures as Leadership defeated the Edison Tech Inventors, 74-68 in RCAC action at Edison Tech High School Friday night.
Watson scored 13 of his game-high 24 points during the second half as Leadership turned a double-digit deficit into a nine-point advantage for their ninth win in 10 games.
“Ten points down is really not a lot,” Watson said. “All we got to do is keep focused and we were back in the game. We had to move the ball around and move it around quick. If you don’t move the ball around, you can’t get open.”
The sophomore guard connected six times behind the arc including hitting from long range on Leadership’s first possession of the second half to pull the Lions within two. Next time he found the measure, Watson capped a decisive 8-0 outburst that started with a buzzer beater to end the third quarter and finished with Edison calling timeout 43 seconds into the fourth stanza.
Ball movement leads to an open look. @tymeek_mackie feeds Rondell Watson for the triple. pic.twitter.com/lZRkkfHabz
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) January 21, 2017
“Our offense was finally clicking,” said Leadership head coach Reggie Simmons. “I was just thrilled. I was very disappointed in our performance in the first half, but proud of the guys and how they came out and performed.”
Davon Brown started the spurt when he snapped a 44-all tie with a tap in to end the third.
“Honestly, I didn’t even know how much time was left,” Brown said. “I knew it was running down. I had an opportunity to get the ball because I wasn’t boxed out, so I was able to tap it in. I wasn’t going to have time to get it with both hands so I just decided on one hand.”
Davon Brown gets the and-one. pic.twitter.com/7UfVLbWYLU
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) January 21, 2017
Dezmere Ellis followed with a triple to open the fourth. Then the Leadership junior guard drove from the wing and kicked it opposite to Watson for the dagger.
“I was looking for him because I knew he was going to knock it down,” Ellis said. “Momentum was on our side. I didn’t have the layup, so I found him. He came through.”
Leadership led 52-44 and did not trail again.
Edison forced 14 first-half turnovers and scored seven straight late in the second quarter to take their largest lead of the game.
Edison’s Tristan Flowers converted one of two from the free throw line. Marique Simkin drove the lane for two then on the ensuing possession feathered a pass over the defense to Flowers for a lay in. Next trip down the floor, Flowers hit two from the charity stripe to give the Inventors a 27-17 advantage with two minutes remaining in the second quarter.
Marique Simkin gets the floater to go. pic.twitter.com/hInD4YtzzM
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) January 21, 2017
Leadership scored the last seven points of the half to trim the deficit to three going into the locker room.
“We needed that second-half McQuaid mentality when we came back,” Brown said referring to Leadership’s win over the Knights earlier this month when the Lions trailed by seven after the third quarter. “We came back from a lot before. We are good at coming back because we all keep our heads up.”
Ellis drove the lane and scored to give Leadership its largest advantage of the night at 59-51.
The Inventors rallied. Chaz McKinney, as he did on three occasions, took a baseline out-of-bounds pass and scored. Simkin hit a three. McKinney connected again off an inbound, and Amari Holland drilled one of his four 3-pointers on the night to pull Edison within three at 66-63.
Leadership’s Ty-Meek Mackie scored seven of his 11 points in the final 3:26 of the game. The senior guard had a layup and one before connecting on four straight free throw attempts.
“In my mind I have to attack the basket,” Mackie said. “I got to get into the game somehow, some way. So why not get to the free throw line.”
But the Inventors couldn’t get any closer.
“Our guys fought,” Edison head coach Jacob Scott said. “They fought to the end. The look in their eyes they still had hope with seconds left. They were still fighting.
“There were a few possessions today where it could have gone either way. Our shot selection down the stretch could have been better.”
Leadership improved to 10-4. The Lions opened the season 1-3 and won eight straight before falling to Bishop Kearney last Saturday. Brown finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Ellis had 17.
Edison fell to 7-6. Simkin finished with 23 points. Holland had 21 and McKinney 14.
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