BY PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rondell Watson became the third Section V hooper this year to reach the half-century mark, and the Leadership Academy Lions gained an ounce of revenge.
Watson poured in 52 points as Leadership Academy, No. 18 NYSSWA Class A, improved to 7-0 on the season with a 109-92 victory over the Wilson Wildcats in RCAC action Wednesday night.
The junior connected 10 times behind the arc for the game including back-to-back treys to give Leadership a 29-24 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The Lions eventually ran their lead to 23 points early in the fourth quarter.
“It feels good,” said Watson who hit seven 3-pointers and scored 31 points in Leadership’s 58-48 win over Buffalo East (VI) last Friday. “But if it wasn’t for my teammates I don’t think I would have had any of that. It’s all about my teammates.”
Watson came into the contest averaging 17.5 points per game. He also hit seven 3-pointers in a 29-point outing against Monroe in a battle of first-place teams last month.
RONNNN-DELLL WATSON! #Buckets End of 3rd: Leadership Academy 84 @wildcats_wilson 64 pic.twitter.com/0GxzuvJEWN
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) January 4, 2018
“The last couple of games he’s been outstanding,” Leadership coach Reggie Simmons said. “He’s been very focused and hitting his shots. I know now he’s in his groove. He did keep us in this game all the way.”
The 100-point effort was the second this year for Leadership which topped Early College, 101-55 on December 22nd.
“Our transition offense was awesome tonight,” Simmons said. “We got a lot to work on defense, but I was happy with what we did offensively in the transition.”
Rondell Watson did more than hit 10 3-pointers. pic.twitter.com/nK1sW9AOdz
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) January 4, 2018
The win avenged Leadership last defeat – a 67-62 loss to Wilson in last year’s Class A2 quarter-finals – the Lions only setback in their last 15 games going back to the middle of the 2016-17 campaign.
“It was unspoken,” Simmons said of the approach to the setback. “They already knew. The guys were very focused in practice and hungry for this victory. We really wanted them because we knew that we only play them one time this year.”
Dez Ellis added 24 points to go with 14 assists. Davon Brown collected 16 points and 14 rebounds. Marcus Barr added 10 points and Shaheem Britt had four.
Dez Ellis brings the JELLY ???????????? pic.twitter.com/5GWcEUtoGY
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) January 4, 2018
Robert Davis and Desi Floyd combined to score 17 points in the first quarter to keep Wilson close. After Watson’s steal and layup gave Leadership a 9-2 advantage less than two minutes into the game, Davis finished a layup in transition to pull the Wildcats within two at 16-14. Davis knocked down a pull-up jumper in transition to keep the deficit at two at 18-16.
But Wilson could not draw even for the remainder of the contest.
“As a team we were saying they beat us, so we got to give it back them,” Watson said of the Wildcats. “It feels good, but we still got more to come.”
Rondell Watson was on ???? last night! The Leadership Academy junior scored 52 points as the Lions improved to 7-0 with a 109-92 victory over Wilson. @sectvbb #RCAC #ROC @PickinSplinters pic.twitter.com/Ewmo4XnQqV
— Varsity Media (@VarsityMedia) January 4, 2018
VIDEO COURTESY OF VARSITY MEDIA
Davis finished with 29 points. Floyd had 28. Rickey Gamble scored 11, and Brennan Clark had 10. Anthony Jubray chipped in five points. Malikk Johnson had five points. Richard Rollin scored three and Tory Bradley two. Wilson fell to 5-4 with the loss.
Bloomfield’s Patrick Geitner scored 50 points last month. Lima Christian’s Jayson Faynor had a 53-point outing later in the month. Per the Democrat and Chronicle, Watson’s performance tied him for 12th all-time on the Section V single-game scoring list.
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