West wins a thriller on Troutman's buzzer-beater

Michael Justus/Times-News

West Henderson's Kagan Williams tries to drive past North Buncombe's Black Westbrook during Tuesday's game at West.

By Dean Hensley
Times-News Staff Writer

Published: Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 7:45 a.m.

West Henderson’s final game of 2008 will be remembered as its best.

Tuesday night at the West Christmas Doubleheader, the nightcap came down to the final minute, and what a final minute it was. North Buncombe’s Randy Pressley, arguably one of the best rebounders in the state, had an offensive rebound and put back with 5.3 seconds left, giving the Blackhawks a 54-53 lead.

But West answered with Daniel Hyatt hitting Kagan Williams on the inbounds pass, and Williams firing to a streaking Adam Troutman across the lane. Troutman then rolled the ball off his fingertips at the buzzer, and the ball found the net as the home crowd erupted after the thrilling 55-54 win.

“Kagan made a great assist, and I knew I didn’t have much time so I just jumped as far and as high as I could and fingerolled it in,” Troutman, who finished with a team-high 14 points, said. “It was my first game-winner, and it feels fantastic.”

Teammates surrounded him and showered him with high-fives.

“The thing about Adam is that he’s got a quick jump shot, and that makes him hard to defend,” Falcon coach Rob Bliss said. “For a senior who didn’t get to get to play a lot last year to be able to step in like he has this year and hit a shot like that, it’s big.”

It was a see-saw affair throughout, with the Blackhawks building a nine-point lead at 50-41 following six quick points from Pressley, who ended the night with a game-high 18 points. But the Falcons rallied for a 10-0 run to take the lead back after Kevin Thomas’ layup with 50 seconds left.

North Buncombe (6-6) answered with a quick jumper by Alex Roberson that made it 52-51, but the Falcons took the lead right back when Hyatt drained a 10-footer, setting up the two last-second shots by both teams.

Hyatt (10 points and 10 rebounds) and Troutman (10 rebounds) both had double doubles for West (5-5). Thomas was the only other Falcon in double figures with 13 points.

In the girls opener, a depleted Lady Falcon squad stayed close with the Lady Blackhawks for the first period but ran out of gas down the stretch to fall 55-32.

Nicole Gentry led North Buncombe with 16 points, and Sydney Revis was close behind with 13.

“We had a one-point loss last night, so I was proud for the girls to come back from that,” Lady Blackhawk coach Robby Parker said.

Kaitlyn Burton had 11 rebounds for West (2-8), and Danielle Dinardo had four steals.

“Their press hurt us, and they really beat us on the boards,” West coach Stephanie Scott-Gaddy said.

West’s boys and girls return to action Friday night at home against T.C. Roberson.

Summaries

BOYS

NORTH BUNCOMBE (54) — Bridges 4, Pressley 18, MacDowell 6, Ledbetter 6, Westbrook 3, Magee 4, Roberson 7, Fox 2, Bailey 4.

WEST HENDERSON (55) — Thelan, Young 6, Roberts 8, Williams 2, Troutman 14, Thomas 13, Hyatt 10, VanWingerden 2.

Halftime: West, 25-22.

GIRLS

NORTH BUNCOMBE (54) — Bridges 4, Pressley 18, MacDowell 6, Ledbetter 6, Westbrook 3, Magee 4, Roberson 7, Fox 2, Bailey 4.

WEST HENDERSON (55) — Thelan, Young 6, Roberts 8, Williams 2, Troutman 14, Thomas 13, Hyatt 10, VanWingerden 2.

Halftime: West, 25-22.

Matthew Makes the Highlight Reel

Click HERE to see highlights from the North Buncombe @ West game last night, the video takes a few minutes to load and it starts with the girl's games so be sure and wait for it! Matthew's three pointer is shown and Stan even says his name! So cool!

Visiting Erwin sweeps West at tourney

With the first day of the second annual West Christmas Doubleheader over and done, both Falcon squads fell to the visiting Warriors of Erwin. The Falcons blasted out the gates and led 23-12 in the first quarter, but a halfcourt trap utilized by Erwin slowed down the tempo and helped them pull off a hard-fought 54-52 win.

“I thought their trap gave us some problems, but to be honest with you I feel like this is one of those nights where we kind of did it to ourselves,” West coach Rob Bliss said. “We played with a lot of energy early, and then we just went flat.”

That energy was on full display in the first quarter as West went on a 19-4 tear. A great halfcourt bounce pass from Daniel Hyatt to a streaking Kevin Thomas (team-high 16 points) signaled the up-tempo game West hoped to maintain. But the Warriors’ halfcourt trap slowly stymied the Falcons and forced them into 21 turnovers for the game.

“We didn’t really play again until the last two minutes of the game,” said Bliss. “We fought and gave ourselves a chance, but you can’t live with just that.”

Down 51-45, West (4-5) came alive in the fourth behind consecutive 3s from Kenan Young (seven points) and Kagan Williams (10 points). With 1:14 left, Warrior guard Jonathan Goforth (14 points) did the same thing he’d done all game: penetrate the lane and hit an acrobatic layup. Kevin Thomas followed suit with a drive and drew a foul, hitting only one free throw.

With 20.7 seconds left Erwin (9-2) bled the clock to within five seconds before Goforth drew a foul. He made the first, missed the second, and Erwin’s Adam King scooped up the offensive rebound, denying West a last chance. King finished the night with a game-high 25.

In exact opposite fashion, the Lady Falcons — with only seven players dressed out — fell behind to Erwin 22-4 in the first quarter. But a stingy zone defense that forced Erwin into 18 turnovers for the game gradually brought West back 34-20 at the half.

“We tried to play a hurry-up offense in the first quarter and that didn’t work,” West coach Stephanie Scott-Gaddy said. “So we tried to slow it down and make every possession count.”

That they did. Starting with Ashley Rogers’ offensive rebound and put-back, the Falcons keyed a 13-2 run that pulled the game to within 14 going in at the half. That momentum carried into the beginning of the third quarter with consecutive 3s by Kaitlyn Burton (nine points) and Erica Cantrell (game-high 13 points). Both finished the night with five steals a piece and Burton also grabbed 10 rebounds.

Though West’s perseverance kept the game close, the Lady Warriors (8-3) had answers for every Falcon run. Still, West coach Scott-Gaddy was pleased with what she saw from a depleted squad.

“I commend my team a great deal,” she said. “They came out and played as a team. And I told them at the end of the game that that was the best we’d played as a team all year, I don’t care what the score shows. They played as a team.”

I love this picture

Taken by Morgan Lancaster and on her facebook site .... I stole it 'cause I like it!

West Henderson falls to Asheville

By Jeremy Trantham
Times-News Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
Mike Dirks/Times-News
West Henderson’s Colby Thelan tries to avoid the steal from Asheville’s Zavion Brown.

Senior Adam Troutman’s basket had brought West Henderson’s deficit to two with 2:30 to play on Wednesday at West. Once again Asheville High senior Wakefield Ellison had an answer.

The Cougars’ standout senior canned an open 3-pointer from the corner to help push Asheville to a 64-53 victory. Ellison, who has committed to East Carolina, finished with a game-high 25 points.

“I thought we played hard,” said West coach Rob Bliss. “Asheville’s an awfully athletic team. We just had some breakdowns defensively a couple of times and they made some big shots. Our margin for error isn’t very big when it comes to teams like this so even the smallest mistake can change the outcome of the game and that’s what happened tonight.”

A lot of several small mistakes on the boards added up to cost West. The Cougars (5-4) outrebounded the Falcons (4-4) 41-21.

“That’s been our Achilles heel all year,” Bliss said. Some of it is our stature and some of it is that we’re not in the habit of being physical. Then some of it is we’re playing the big boys on the block.”

Bliss said that in eight games this season, the Falcons have allowed 120 offensive rebounds.

Still, West had its chances despite falling behind 20-9 at the end of the first quarter and then by 10 early in the fourth. The Falcons battled back to take a 26-25 halftime lead but saw it evaporate late in the third. Ellison broke a 40-40 tie with an inside bucket which sparked a 15-5 run.

Sophomore forward Kevin Thomas spearheaded an 8-0 West run capped by Troutman’s putback with 2:30 remaining.

Asheville patiently worked around West’s trapping defense to find Ellison alone in the corner. Cougar guard Zavian Brown hit all six of his free throw attempts in the closing moments as West went cold from the field.

Brown had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds to go along with four assists. Maurice Harrison added 10 points and eight rebounds.

Troutman also had a double-double with a team-high 15 points and 10 rebounds.

“Troutman’s a kid that as a coach you’re so proud of,” Bliss said of the senior who saw limited playing time last season. “He’s certainly our most consistent player both on the offensive end and on the glass.”

Thomas scored six of his 14 points in the fourth quarter while Kagan Williams added nine points on three 3’s for the Falcons.

For one half, the Lady Falcons hung right with the Lady Cougars. But West’s 32-26 halftime deficit unraveled in a hurry as Asheville pulled away for a 78-54 win.

“In the first half we had our feet under us and in the second they went on a run right there and we just couldn’t seem to catch up,” said Lady Falcon coach Stephanie Scott-Gaddy. “As far as the defense our intensity level wasn’t quite where it needed to be.”

Desiree Gamble led the charge with 27 of her game-high 31 points in the second half.

Summer Kremer had 10 points for the Lady Falcons. Kaitlyn Burton added nine points and eight rebounds, Sieara Bishop added nine points and five assists while Chelsea Turlington had seven points and four steals.

The Lady Falcons fall to 2-6 on the year.

“I think (this game) will help us know what we need to practice and work on,” Scott-Gaddy said.

West will return to action on Dec. 29 a home to start a two-day tournament.

SUMMARIES

BOYS

ASHEVILLE (64) — Ireland 2, Whitmire 4, Darity 2, Head, Smith 2, Ray 7, Wakefield Ellison 25, Zavion Brown 12, Maurice Harrison 10, Harvin.

WEST (53) — Thelen 1, Young 2, Roberts 4, Williams 9, Adam Troutman 15, Kevin Thomas 14, Hyatt 8, VanWingerden.

Halftime: West, 26-25.

GIRLS

ASHEVILLE (78) — Cortney Rogers 18, Desiree Gamble 31, Scanzoni 1, Lane 7, Merissa Brewton 11, Ma. Brewton 8, Watty, Surratt, Lance 2, Smith.

WEST (54) — Summer Kremer 10, Cantrell 8, Burton 9, Turlington 7, Bishop 9, Stewart 1, Ciaramitaro, Rogers 4, Dinardo 6.

An Incorrect Box Score by the Charlotte Observer

Matthew told me they lost the game at RS Central by 9 points and that he scored 11. This is the box score from the Charlotte Observer. The only thing that matches up is that they show Matthew scoring 11 points.

Anyway, pretty sure they lost. I will look for a more accurate box score, but thought it would be cool to post this:

W. HENDERSON 71, R.S. CENTRAL 61

R.S.	16	10	18	17	0	61
W. Hend.	18	16	17	20	0	71

W. Henderson 71 – Thomas 17, Hyatt 11, Roberts 11, Troutman 10, Williams 3

R. S. Central 61 – Lynch 13, Foster 13, Fuller 8, Holmstrom 8, Kinlaw 8, Kinshaw 8

Matter gets Elfed

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