By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A trio of players combined for 16 points in the third quarter when UPrep turned a single-digit lead into a 23-point advantage as the Griffins (8-4) defeated Monroe (3-1), 65-55 in non-league action, Monday night from the campus of Young Women’s College Prep.
Leading 38-29, UPrep opened the third quarter with a 10-0 run.
“Just finishing possessions,” said first-year head coach Rayvon Higdon. “We let them come back by getting lazy at the end of the first half. We wanted to come out with the intensity that we had in the first quarter, and we did.”
Gavin White hit a wing jumper to start the scoring coming out of the break. Ja’yvion Sampson converted 1-of-2 from the free throw line and then added a 3-pointer.
White made it a 17-point game with another bucket and Demetrius Walker Jr. followed with a rebound and putback.
“We were trying to find holes in their 1-3-1 zone,” Higdon said. “I knew if we got the ball to our shooters in their spots, they would knock them down.”
James Willingham scored the next eight including a pair of 3-pointers.
“It was more about getting the ball to my teammates and making the defense have to move,” the junior guard said. “When they get all set, that’s when I let it go.”
Willingham’s second triple of the quarter gave UPrep a 57-34 lead.
He finished with 18 points in the game. Sampson added 17. White had six.
“It feels like a brotherhood,” Willingham said. “I love it. We all love it. When we play together, it feels great. It makes us a better team.”
The win was the third straight for UPrep and fifth in the past six games. Monroe entered the game holding opponents under 35 points per game and with a scoring differential of nearly 17 points per game.
UPrep forced 11 turnovers in the third quarter and outscored the Red Jackets 20-6 during the frame.
“We’re finding out how to play together,” Higdon said. “We had some really selfish moments earlier in the season. Lately we haven’t been playing as selfish. We’ve been working to not give up the middle as much, and we’re communicating a lot better. There are lapses still, but they are a lot shorter than they were earlier in the season.”
Monroe’s Tah’Jier Holmes found Brien Walker open in the lane for a basket and a 7-4 Red Jackets’ lead midway through the first quarter.
Back-to-back ad-ones from Sampson and Walker gave UPrep a lead it did not surrender at 10-7.
UPrep pushed the lead to 16 when Javell Neal finished in the lane for a 25-9 lead. Sampson gave the Griffins their biggest lead of the half at 31-11 when the senior guard connected twice from the free throw line.
Monroe rallied.
John Hardy scored on a finger roll. Holmes completed an and-one. Jordan Reis scored on a layup, and Holmes hit a pull-up jumper in the lane as part of a 14-3 run to close the half.
UPrep travels to play Niagara Falls of Section VI on Wednesday.
Monroe hosts Wilson on Tuesday. A 6:15 pm tipoff is scheduled.
MONROE (55)
Navareon Patton 3 3-4 11, Tah’Jier Holmes 7 6-7 20, John Hardy 2 1-1 5, Jordan Reis 2 0-2 4, Anthony Omebe 1 0-0 2, Jordan Thomas 1 0-0 2, Brien Walker 2 0-2 4, Cameron Mullins 0 3-4 3, P. Thomas 1 0-0 3 TOTALS: 19 13-20 — 55
UPREP (65)
James Willingham 7 2-2 18, Ja’yvion Sampson 5 5-10 17, Gavin White 3 0-0 6, Jaymanny Hamilton 1 0-0 2, Carmine Singleton 2 3-4 7, Demetrius Walker Jr. 2 2-2 6, Javell Neal 2 0-0 5, Jaylen Conner 0 1-2 1, Mysuan White 1 2-3 4 TOTALS: 22 15-23 — 65
MONROE 9 20 6 20 — 55
UPREP 23 15 20 17 — 65
Leave a Reply