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Cairo McCroy had a big day coming up on Monday.
That’s when he signed his National Letter of Intent to play for the University of Massachusetts.
But the Woodstock Academy Gold postgraduate basketball player got ready for that with a pretty impressive display on the court Nov. 16.
The Hartford native scored 20 of his 27 points in the first half and led the Centaurs to a 91-73 win over Spire Academy of Ohio in the Power 5 Conference Tip Off tournament.
The win raised the Gold team’s record to 5-0.
“I had a good shoot around, I was feeling good, knocking down shots. Coach (Jacque Rivera) is giving me a lot of confidence in my jump shot and my skills. He gets mad at me if I don’t apply them so I had to do what I had to do,” McCroy said.
Spire Academy was capable and took a 7-2 lead out of the gate.
McCroy had the only early points, a pair of free throws, but Michael Jefferson’s free throw and baskets by Lawrence Foreman and Quinton McElroy quickly knotted the game.
The Centaurs took their first lead, 16-15, when McCroy put down a 3-pointer with 10:20 left in the first half.
The Centaurs took advantage of a drought by Spire, brought on, in part, by the pressure that Woodstock Academy put on their opponents.
Spire Academy’s Zim Nwokeji, who has committed to play for Florida State, hit a basket with 14:32 left in the half.
The next field goal didn’t come until just 4:53 was left.
After the McCroy 3-pointer, Quran McPherson went on a run of his own. The Woodstock guard hit a pair of two-point field goals and a 3-pointer, interrupted only by a Spire Academy free throw to put the Centaurs ahead, 23-16.
Benjamin Fort and McCroy followed with unanswered baskets and Joe Moon added a traditional three-point play to put the Gold team up, 30-16.
The lead would expand to as many as 15, but Spire Academy was still within range at the half when it cut the deficit to 12.
Spire Academy got it down to as few as 10 points once early in the second half but had foul trouble and eventually saw three starters foul out.
The Centaurs got a shot in the arm from Dyondre Dominguez who scored all 15 of his points in the second half.
It was similar to his effort in the tournament opener for the Gold Nov. 15 when they rolled past Rocktop Academy from Philadelphia, 128-62.
Dominguez scored all 18 of his points in the second half in that game as well.
The win over Rocktop featured seven players in double figures with center Chad Venning adding 13, Noel Scott 12 and both Joshua Davis and Ronnie DeGray finished with 11.
The Gold team does have some tougher assignments on the horizon.
It will take part in the National Prep Showcase this weekend at Albertus Magnus College.
The Centaurs play Hargrave Military Academy from Virginia at noon Nov. 22 and Mt. Zion Prep from Maryland at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 24.
Blue Back to .500
The Woodstock Academy Blue postgraduate team righted the ship over the weekend.
The Centaurs downed first-year prep program, Notre Dame-West Haven Nov. 15, 83-77 in a foul-marred contest and followed that up with a 90-41 victory over Hoosac School Nov. 16.
The two wins evened the Blue team’s record at 3-3.
“There is so much pressure off my back now,” a relieved Blue team coach Denzel Washington said. “All the team is back and this is most important for the guys.”
Woodstock wasted little time against Hoosac School.
Five points by Trevor Green and a Vondre Chase hoop put the Centaurs up early, 8-0.
The lead gradually built in the first half and by halftime, it was up to 22 points, 43-21.
Washington was able to utilize his bench in the second half.
Chase led the balanced attack with 12 points.
Hakan West and Elijah Blackman each added 11 points, Blackman getting all of his in the second half. Malikai Delgado added 10.
The victory came against former Blue head coach Nick DeFeo who is in the first year of coaching his own prep program.
The Blue team is back in action Nov. 20 against Capital Prep Harbor; at MacDuffie School Nov. 22. MacDuffie is coached by former Woodstock Academy athletic director and boys’ basketball coach Aaron Patterson.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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