By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — You’ll have to forgive fourth-year Leadership Academy head coach Reggie Simmons if he can’t remember his team that started the season. After all the Lions began 2016-17 with losses in three of their first four outings. Since then Leadership has dropped just one decision.
“One and three, yes indeed; I do not know that team,” Simmons said after Friday night’s victory, Leadership’s 11th in their last 12 games. “I’m telling you great defensive work, swinging the ball and great guard play has finally got us where we’re starting to turn the corner and playing great basketball.”
Friday’s night effort had the look of so many Lion wins this season; an opportunistic defense on one end and an inside-outside attack at the other end. The result – a routine 81-58 victory over the World of Inquiry Griffins in RCAC action.
Dez Ellis and Rondell Watson, like they have done so many times over the past month and half, took over the game. The backcourt tandem turned a double-digit halftime advantage into a 21-point bulge after three quarters.
“That’s my dynamic duo,” Simmons said. “Dez struggled in the first half and like I have had to quite often I had to sit him down. He came out in the third quarter played the way I expected him to play.”
Time on the pine served the junior guard well as he scored six and handed out three assists in a decisive 15-0 run. Watson, who tallied nine in the first half, started the run with a floater in the lane that he set up with a head fake at the top of the arc. Next trip down the floor, Ellis fed Davon Brown in the paint for two. Then Ellis drilled a 3-pointer.
Dez Ellis drills a three over the WOI zone. pic.twitter.com/dZh6MmKLIg
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 4, 2017
Two possessions later, Ellis found Watson in transition for a trey of his own. Another possession and another Ellis triple fetched a timeout from the WOI bench.
The break in action didn’t slow the Leadership momentum. The Lions defense forced a turnover, and Ellis led Watson on a run-out for a bucket.
Dez Ellis leads Rondell Watson on a run-out. pic.twitter.com/nU3iYAHelD
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 4, 2017
Ellis finished the night with game-highs of 19 points and eight assists. Watson added 16. Brown had 10 points and four blocks. With senior starter Ty-Meek Mackie sidelined because of an injured ankle, sophomore OJ Anderson chipped in 10 points.
Leadership had a 13-9 advantage after the first quarter. Sophomore Nate Doyle connected twice behind the arc and combined with Watson to score 13 in the second quarter when the Lions outscored WOI 23-14.
Jacquane Reed knocks down the baseline jumper. pic.twitter.com/01gAtvjo4M
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 4, 2017
“It was very scary for us,” Simmons said about the score after the first quarter. “I always say it: ‘Here we go again.’ We had our opportunities, but too many mistakes.”
Terrell June paced WOI (4-13) with 14 points. Charles Maurice Brown added 13. Kyle Beasley had 11. WOI starter, CeyQuan Salmon was injured in pre-game warmups and played limited minutes.
Charles Maurice Brown finds Bobby Searight with the high-low feed. @WOISGriffins pic.twitter.com/IiJj5iX71C
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 4, 2017
Leadership improved to 12-4 on the season. The Lions claimed the 2014 B2 Section Five title and 2015 B1 championship before falling last season in the B1 quarter-finals to eventual finalist Pal-Mac.
The Lions moved up to Class A2 for this season. If sectionals started tomorrow, Leadership would have the No. 1 seed. Four more games remain before the post-season. Leadership starts that final stretch with a rematch against Pal-Mac.
“Once we get Ty-Meek back, we’ll get this machine running,” Simmons noted. “We’re well on our way to being a really, really good team. We’re not quite there yet. We’re almost there.”
This Leadership club could be finding their stride right on time.
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