By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Four minutes remained in the third quarter of Friday’s Rochester City Athletic Conference (RCAC) matchup with Wilson Magnet clinging to a slim three-point advantage. Edison Tech’s Tyler Bethea had gone to the bench with four fouls.
Reggie Simmons turned to ninth-grader Jabric Larkins.
Seven possessions later, the Inventors had a lead they did not surrender, and Larkins played the starring role.
“Big game for him,” Simmons said after Edison’s 65-57 win. “We just called him up from JV about two games ago. He did everything I asked him to do.”
Larkins started the decisive run when he took a pass from teammate Edmari Binion and finished under the basket. Next trip down the floor, Davijon Lipscomb hit a pull-up jumper along the baseline.
High-low action: Edmari Binion to Jabric Larkins. pic.twitter.com/hD14evOnJK
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) January 15, 2022
Larkins followed with another bucket in the lane. Marcqell Freeman converted a pair of free throws before Lipscomb threaded a pass through the Wilson zone to Larkins in the lane two more. Lipscomb capped the run one possession later with a basket in the lane.
Davijon Lipscomb finds Jabric Larkins. @EDTechAthletics 46-39. pic.twitter.com/UznyMKjoDg
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) January 15, 2022
Edison led 48-42.
Wilson took a timeout with 1:39 remaining. The Wildcats did not get within five for the remainder of the contest.
“I’m so excited for him,” Simmons said of Larkins who finished with 10 points and was one of four Inventors in double figures. “That helps build up his confidence.”
It looked like Edison put the game away with a 23-3 run to end the first half.
Bethea paced the second-quarter run with a pair of steal-and-layup sequences as part of his six points. Lipscomb and Mike Morgan scored five apiece to help the Inventors to 34-23 advantage heading into the break.
Wilson didn’t go away, though.
Tyler Bethea grabs the loose ball and finishes at the other end. @EDTechAthletics on 17-1 run up 28-21. pic.twitter.com/JHH8Uw8LJy
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) January 15, 2022
Zavarius Henry hit two 3-pointers, and DaSiah White added another from distance as the Wildcats scored the first 11 points of the third quarter to tie the game at 34.
Zavarius Henry opens the third with a troika of triples and the @wildcats_wilson have tied the game at 34. pic.twitter.com/4DfLxuuV5l
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) January 15, 2022
“We’ve been through that before,” Simmons said. “Every time in those nip and tuck games somehow, someway we find the way to fight through it. A lot of times it’s because of our defensive presence.”
Two minutes later, Edison started its run.
“The big thing is we were rushing. All we needed to do was take our time, run through our offense. The jumper wasn’t falling tonight. You go to do something different. We began to make that run when started taking our time.”
Bethea posted a team-high 19 points. Lipscomb had 13 and Morgan 12. Freeman (4), Binion (3) and Thomas (2) rounded out the scoring for Edison (8-4) which won its third straight.
Wilson’s White led all scorers with 22 points. The ninth-grader also had three assists and two steals. Henry had 16 points and five rebounds. Joshua Joyce grabbed 10 rebounds and scored three points. Khalil Lewis hit a pair of 3-pointers and finished with eight eight points. Yaliel Bonilla (6) and Dolcin Flood (2) also scored for Wilson (5-5).
Dasiah White connects from distance to keep @wildcats_wilson within 6 at 54-48. pic.twitter.com/B1pMHC9t4H
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) January 15, 2022
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