By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — It was a good news/ bad news scenario for the Elmira Express at halftime of Sunday’s Bishop Kearney Christmas Showcase. The Express went into the locker room allowing just a combined 10 points from the Liverpool Warriors duo of Naz Johnson and Charles Pride.
On the other hand, Elmira trailed 44-18.
Five different Warriors tallied during the second quarter as Liverpool outscored Elmira 22-6 to take a 26-point lead at halftime.
“That’s what we need,” third-year Liverpool coach Ryan Blackwell said. “Any good team is going to have a good bench and other guys who can contribute. We go 10 deep which I’m comfortable with. When we’re playing like that, we’re shooters. We move the ball and space everybody out, we do good things.”
Johnson scored the first six of the stanza. The 6-foot-3 senior forward converted a rebound and putback with contact to get a traditional 3-point play. He followed with a 3-pointer from the top of the arc.
Naz Johnson finishes underneath for two of his 23 points. pic.twitter.com/V7FiDQfzUW
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 11, 2017
Alan Willmes Jr. tallied the next four hitting a pair of free throws and finishing underneath with an assist from Johnson. Ryan Valentine took a Johnson lead in transition and knocked down a 3. Alexander Ruston followed with a three of his own. Noah Issakainen nailed a catch-and-shoot trey, and Willmes capped the quarter with two more from the charity stripe.
At the same time, Liverpool’s defense held Elmira without a field goal over its last nine possessions of the quarter.
“We were just active, playing with energy,” Blackwell said of his defense. “When the ball moves, I try to teach them to be there on time. They were just active and aggressive.”
After committing 29 turnovers in Saturday’s win over East High, the Warriors, a NYS Class AA semi-finalist a year ago, committed just five miscues in the first half of Sunday’s 68-52 win.
“They knew (almost) 30 turnovers is too many,” Blackwell said of his squad. “They (Elmira) didn’t press as much as East, but when they did I thought we did a better job of being under control and taking our time and pass faking and finding the right man.”
Liverpool’s swelled to as many as 28 at 60-48 early in the fourth quarter.
Charles Pride grabs his own miss and converts. 4:28 to go in 1st – Liverpool 12 Elmira 3 pic.twitter.com/8YSNv9jQcK
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 10, 2017
Johnson finished with a game-high 23 points for a two-day total of 45. Willmes had 15. Joe DeSocio added 10 points. Pride picked up his second foul early in the first quarter and finished with two points for the game.
Jaycee Cade paced Elmira with eight points.
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