Sexton slams Waverly

Valentine and the Big Reds smother Warriors

By Jared Field

22 January 2008

greatlakeshoops.com

Lansing-- The top team in Lansing didn't play up to its moniker early.

For the first 16 minutes of Lansing Sexton's 60-48 win over Lansing Waverly on Tuesday night, the Big Reds didn't look like one of the top teams in the state in class A.

And then there was the third quarter.

And Drew Valentine.

The Capital City's top player showed out in the quarter, scoring 14 of his 16 points and leading the Big Reds on a 22-7 run in the quarter to put the game away.

Sexton is a dangerous defensive team with Valentine and two top-flight defenders, Deleon Dearing and Dunell Murchison.

Those guys have their hands in all the passing lanes and are athletic enough to make guards think twice about long passes across the timeline. The bulk of Waverly's turnovers came in the decisive third quarter.

A short-lived run by the Warriors kept fans interested for a few minutes of the final frame, but the game was never really in doubt.

Sexton        12    11    22    15    -    60

Waverly     11    10    9      18    -    48 

Game notes

--Drew Valentine really is the best Lansing has to offer this season. He is the epitome of an all-around player. There is nothing the junior swingman can't--or doesn't--do. He plays hard-nosed defense all the time, but tonight was something special. At 6-4, Valentine's size forces him into the middle of Sexton's trapping 2-3 zone. In this game, that meant a battle with Waverly's 6-8 CMU-bound center, Zach Saylor. Valentine held his own in the paint, and never shied away from contact. Valentine finished with 16 points and a team-high 15 rebounds on an efficient 6-of-11 from the field.

--Waverly shot itself in the foot tonight in the backcourt. The Warriors' guards simply could not take care of the ball, and Sexton made them pay. Time and time again they tried dribbling through Sexton's long and athletic press. Passes beat zones, fellas. Waverly turned it over 24 times, but it sure seemed like more than that. Mayhoe, Phillips and Parker have to tighten things up a bit if Waverly is going to make some noise in class B this season.

--Waverly's Vince Parker has a ridiculously quick first step. His dribble drive and basket to finish the first half was at breakneck speed.

--Matt Slater was a witch in the first quarter for Waverly. The sharpshooter swished a trio of 3-pointers in the first eight minutes, bailing his team out of what could have been a really ugly opening frame. The Warriors failed to score in the first four and a half minutes of the game before Slater carried the team the rest of the way. Slater finished with a game-high 20 points and seven rebounds. Love this lefty.

--Zach Saylor was an absolute beast on the boards, finishing with 21 on the night. Saylor is a tremendous weapon, but the Warriors absolutely have to get him more touches. Saylor should be shooting it 20 times per game.

--Javaughn Manual had the play of the night with a sickening dunk in transition. If Manual isn't the top athlete playing ball in Lansing, I'd be surprised. The senior finished with 12 points, but had an abysmal shooting performance--4-of-18 from the field.

--Nate Duhon is an intriguing guard prospect. He has good size (6'2''), long arms and pretty good bounce. He finished with 19 points to lead the Big Reds in the scoring column. At the very least, he has a great surname for a point guard.

--Great atmosphere tonight at Waverly. I'm never disappointed when I make the drive to Lansing; they love their hoops over there.