By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Jayden Ridley-Smith found his shooting stroke just in time.
With six minutes and change remaining in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s non-league matchup, the Vertus boys’ basketball team faced a six-point deficit.
Less than four minutes later, the Warriors had a lead they did not surrender.
And Ridley-Smith carried the load.
Having gone more than 10 minutes of game time without connecting from the floor, the junior guard hit three straight from behind the 3-point arc to lead Vertus to a win on opening night.
“It was kinda like nerves,” Vertus head coach Darren Franklin said after the Warriors’ 50-45 win over Early College. “All those same shots that Jayden missed in the beginning of the game, it was just kinda nerves. I knew that as long as we kept getting quality shots, we would be okay.”
Trailing 41-35, Ridley-Smith connected on back-to-back possessions to tie the game. Four trips down the floor later, he found the measure again for a 47-41.
Vertus never looked back.
“The real focus was that we needed to get stops,” Franklin said of the rally. “We knew that a lot of their points were coming in transition. They weren’t scoring in the half-court. If we could limit them in transition and get a rebound, I knew that wouldn’t be able to stick with us.”
Daymeir Cain converted one of two free throws to give Vertus its first lead of the fourth quarter with 4:18 remaining in the game. Gerod Jackson followed with a bucket in the lane before Ridley-Smith all but put the game out of reach.
Jayden Ridley-Smith drills his third triple in as many attempts. @VertusAthletics is on a 12-0 run for a 47-41 lead with 2:34 on the clock. pic.twitter.com/Sd5IDvtgS1
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 3, 2021
That’s not to suggest the seventh-year coach was completely comfortable with the shot selection.
“My first thought was ‘why are we shooting this shot?’ I knew it was going to go in, but every time we were going to the basket, they were fouling us.
“That was the conversation (during the timeout). Not unless you got an open shot. Go to the basket, go strong, get the contact and make your free throws.”
Ridley-Smith sealed the victory with two free throws in the closing seconds.
“I got a good group of guys this year,” Franklin said.
The game saw 12 lead changes and nine ties. Five of those shifts and three of the ties came in the first quarter.
Early College looked ready to pull away when Jamezs Brown and Quentin Majors-Brown scored on consecutive possession for the Cobras largest lead of the night at 41-35 with 6:32 to go in the game.
Coming out of a timeout, Jamezs Brown used the ball screen to set up the jumper. @EcCobras 39-35 pic.twitter.com/nT4KlYDxIj
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 3, 2021
Vertus held the Cobras to two field goals over the remaining 12 possessions. Meanwhile the Warriors offensive produced points on seven of their final 12 trips down the floor.
Jackson led all scorers with 20 points. Ridley-Smith added 17. Cain and Reginald Pough had six apiece while Earlington Walker added two.
Big board and bucket from Gerod Jackson and we are tied at 27. pic.twitter.com/UxpDi8cJ7T
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 3, 2021
Jahan Richetts and Jamari Williams scored 12 apiece to lead Early College. Brown had 10. Myqyng Arline and Majors-Brown both scored six.
Early College hosts Wilson Magnet next Tuesday for 6:30 p.m. tip off.
Vertus welcomes School of the Arts (SOTA) on December 18th.
Leave a Reply