By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — When Patrick Phillips graduated after last season, the Wilson Magnet boys’ basketball team faced the task of having to replace the inside presence of the 6-foot-6 forward.
Brendan O’Toole has had the pieces in place all year and Thursday night the Wildcats led by sophomore Brennan “BJ” Clark, as well as juniors Desi Floyd and Malikk Johnson made their mark.
Clark and Floyd posted double-doubles. Johnson delivered back-to-back buckets during a key stretch, and Wilson grabbed a commanding lead in the RCAC’s Division B.
“We really haven’t missed a beat,” O’Toole said after Wilson’s 78-73 victory over World of Inquiry. “They rebound the ball well. Offensively, they work well together.”
Against WOI, Wilson’s youth went toe-to-toe with Bobby Searight (6-foot-6/320 pounds) and senior Charles Maurice Brown (6-foot-3/255 pounds).
The young Wildcats didn’t flinch.
Clark hauled in 17 rebounds and scored 21 points, but when it was needed most the 6-foot-3 forward (who plays taller) became a facilitator. With Wilson’s 19-point halftime lead reduced to single digits, Clark found a seam in WOI’s 3-2 zone and hit Johnson on back-to-back possessions from the free throw line.
“We talked about getting the ball side to side and then looking at that high post after you’ve made two or three passes,” O’Toole explained. “We wanted BJ in there because we felt like he’s pretty quick He can get to the basket, but then if they do play him he definitely can see the floor.
“When we put Malikk back in the game we said all right now you can look low because Malikk will be down there. He didn’t force the shot and he found Malikk twice in a row.”
Johnson’s second bucket gave Wilson a 76-69 lead with 1:28 remaining in the contest.
“When we got the ball to the middle, they collapsed,” Johnson said. “The low block was open all day, so he penetrated and dumped it down to me.”
The win was the fifth straight for Wilson (11-6/7-0).
“We blew that big lead, but we made some key plays down the stretch,” O’Toole noted. “They (WOI) played great to get back into it, but to be able gut that out after losing a big lead and really staying in it mentally and not getting down it says a lot.”
The loss was the second this week and first at home this season for WOI (10-5/4-2).
“We didn’t play like that in the first half,” WOI coach Stephen Campe said of the first loss at home. “We dug ourselves a hole for sure. I was surprised because this was a huge game for us. I thought we were going to come out with a little more energy. I thought early we played well. We just didn’t reward ourselves. We had a couple of easy chances to get easy buckets but we didn’t convert. I think we got frustrated and started to turn the ball over.”
Wilson scored seven straight to close the first half and grab that big lead. Deandre Floyd hit a floater outside the lane. Desi Floyd converted a pair of free throws before Robert Davis led Clark for a thunderous two-handed jam. Desi Floyd closed the half with a drive and basket. Wilson led 49-30.
Robert Davis off the window to Brennan Clark. Throwin’. It. Down. @wildcats_wilson pic.twitter.com/MQGQwxk4Mk
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 1, 2018
The Wildcats maintained a double-digit advantage at 64-53 going into the fourth.
Searight converted a rebound and putback. CeyQuan Salmon got ahead of the defense for a layup and followed with a 3-pointer next trip down the floor. Brown scored inside, and Tremier Dollar got credit for two on a goaltending call to make it a 66-64 game with 5:39 remaining in the game.
“If you told me at the beginning of the season we would have 10 wins at this point, I would have taken it,” said Campe whose team finished 4-17 a year ago. “My guys know they can play with Wilson. They want it. We just got to go from here.”
The game featured the top two active scoring leaders in the RCAC. Salmon, a senior, posted a double-double as he grabbed 10 rebounds and netted a game-high 26. He has 1,484 career points. Wilson’s Davis, a junior guard, connected four times behind the arc, had 23 points in the game and 1,194 for his career.
Desi Floyd finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Anthony Jubray added six for the Wildcats. Johnson also had six. Tory Bradley added two.
Brown scored 22 points for WOI. Searight added eight. Javonte Burrell had six, and Frankie Santiago, 2. Tremier Dollar scored nine.
Charles Maurice Brown clearing a lane. @wildcats_wilson 74 ???? of Inquiry 69 pic.twitter.com/NVZH2eZoVB
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 2, 2018
The same two teams meet again on February 14th.
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