By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Earlier this season, University Prep didn’t run any set plays for Jabez Thomas. The Griffins instead chose to rely on the 6-foot-7 sophomore center’s height and athleticism to create second-chance opportunities with rebounds.
Saturday evening that approach changed. Thomas became a priority on offense as UPrep held on to defeat the Bishop Timon Tigers (VI), 60-55 in non-league action at Roberts Wesleyan College.
Thomas grabbed 12 rebounds and netted a team-high 16 points – a bulk of which came through scripted offense.
“It’s always going to be the match up for him,” UPrep head coach James Reaves said. “He’ll always have that advantage. Now it’s a matter of realizing it. Everyone is keying in on (teammate Williams) Jeenathan, so now we’re going to our other options.”
Thomas scored UPrep’s first points of the night with a tap in on a baseline inbound play – a designed set where his teammate threw the ball toward the basket and Thomas used his athleticism to climb above opposing defenders for the deuce.
He combined with Williams on his next three baskets – all of which Williams, UPrep’s leading scorer, drew the defense before feeding Thomas in the paint. Once he secured the ball in his hands, Thomas showed an economy of motion getting the ball from point A to point B and in the basket.
“He’s growing,” said Reaves a former All Greater-Rochester Performer at Edison Tech before he went on to star at Niagara University. “The more games he plays, the more mature and more experienced he gets. It’s about timing and getting him in a situation where he can be productive.”
Thomas used a drop step into the middle of the lane to cap a 6-0 UPrep spurt to start the second half. Two possessions later, he gathered a Jakhi Lucas missed free throw for a putback. Then he showed the drop step again to give UPrep a 44-28 advantage. Thomas freed teammate James Barnes with a ball screen for a pull-up jumper, and UPrep had its largest lead of the night at 48-28.
Bishop Timon’s Davion Warren and Joe Harrison paced a 13-2 run as the Tigers cut the deficit to five with a little more than three minutes remaining. Harrison hit one of his four three-pointers on the night, and Juston Johnson converted a pair of free throws to make it a one-possession game at 55-52.
Harrison hit another triple with 19.7 on the clock for and Bishop Timon trailed 58-55. But that was as close as the Tigers would get.
Williams scored 16 for UPrep and handed out five assists.
Johnson led Bishop Timon with 18. Harrison had 17 and Warren 13.
UPrep, ranked No. 4 Class AA in the most recent New York State poll, improved to 13-2 on the season. The Griffins will play Williamsville South next Saturday in the RAP Invitational at Aquinas Institute. A 2 pm tipoff is scheduled.
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