- Details
- Category: Current Issue
Centaurs Gold prep improves to 18-1
There are plenty of teams who can keep up with the Woodstock Academy Centaurs Gold prep basketball team for the first half.
The telling tale generally occurs in the second half.
Bosco Institute found out how difficult it is to deal with the Centaurs depth Jan. 17.
The Centaurs only held a four-point lead at the half, but walked away with a 17-point win, 92-75, in a Hoophall Prep Showcase game.
The win was the 12th in a row for the Gold prep team and raised its record to 18-1.
Woodstock Academy did what it does best in the second half.
It pressed.
And because of the amount of quality players on the bench - which allows the Centaurs to liberally substitute, sometimes taking a page from hockey with a five-player line change - which press was suffocating.
“The press was extremely effective. We forced (24) turnovers. It was a big court with great depth perception so it was really cool that the press was so effective. I think our depth took them out of a couple of things that they wanted to do,” said Woodstock Academy coach Jacque Rivera.
The Centaurs also produced some transition offense off those turnovers, getting 36 points off of them.
Bosco Institute, a team from Indiana, led by eight points early in the first half, but the Centaurs got back into the game with an 11-point run of its own later in the half.
It led 45-41 at the break, but gradually pulled away in the second half.
Ronnie DeGray and Dyondre Dominguez did much of the damage for the Centaurs.
DeGray, the only returning member of the team from a year ago, delivered a game-high 24 points.
He made 9-of-12 from the floor including 3-of-6 from beyond the 3-point line.
Rivera is just hopeful that someone in the stands was watching.
The 6-foot, 7-inch player from Parker, Colo. has not committed to a college program as of yet.
Providence native Dominguez made 6-of-10 from the floor, five of those from beyond the 3-point line and four free throws to finish with 21 points.
He also led the Centaurs with eight rebounds, seven off the defensive boards.
“The big thing for Dyondre is that he is really getting it going on the defensive side. He’s rebounding. He’s defending and playing with more confidence,” Rivera said.
Michael Jefferson and Quran McPherson also finished in double figures for the Centaurs with 10 points apiece.
Rivera is just happy the Centaurs got invited to play in the Hoophall Showcase.
“It’s the best event in the country. It gets unbelievable publicity. You play in front of packed crowds. It’s right in the middle of Springfield which has a rich tradition of basketball, obviously with James Naismith (who invented the game) and Springfield College (the site where Naismith taught when he created basketball) right up the road. I think the overall experience is just a memorable one,” Rivera said.
Jan. 16 the team traveled to Barrington, R.I. to play St. Andrews and were tested.
The Centaurs escaped with a 71-65 win over the New England Prep School Athletic Council member team.
“Any time you go on the road to play a NEPSAC school, you will be challenged. New England basketball is where it’s at. Home games are tough. Going on the road, it’s dark at 4 p.m. and it’s a 7 p.m. tip. When you factor in all of those things and the fact that (St. Andrew’s coach) Mike (Hart) has 30 years’ experience in the business, of course, his team is prepared," Rivera said.
The Centaurs survived behind 22 points from Dominquez and an 11-point effort from Quinton McElroy.
The Centaurs Gold team gets back on the court Jan. 24 in a four-team Coaches vs. Cancer tournament at Bridgton Academy in Bridgton, Maine.
Another Connecticut team, St. Thomas More, is also involved in that tournament.
Blue Loses at Hoophall
The Centaurs Blue prep basketball team saw its record drop to 13-8 over the weekend as it lost both its games at the Hoophall Classic. The Centaurs lost a heartbreaker to Rise Prep, 64-63. That was preceded by a 76-62 loss to Cheshire Academy
Woodstock Academy trailed Rise Prep, 31-26, at the end of the first half but made it close at the end. The Centaurs edged Rise Prep in fast-break points, 11-3, but lost the bench battle, 29-14.
Trevor Green put together a double-double effort with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Guard Nahshon Battle led Woodstock Academy with 17 points while Vondre Chase tossed in 10 points and eight rebounds.
Battle was the only player in double figures against Cheshire with 18 points on 7-for-16 shooting. Former Woodstock Academy high school basketball standout, Chase Anderson, added nine points for the Centaurs.
Paul Hosey (6 rebounds) and Vondre Chase added eight points each.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy