Ferguson’s second half leads Homestead over Luers in SAC Holiday Tournament
It was Jack Ferguson’s second half, and Homestead was more than happy to let him shoot it to a victory. Ferguson found his shot against Bishop Luers as he scored 20 of his 23 points in it. His shooting, as…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingIt was Jack Ferguson’s second half, and Homestead was more than happy to let him shoot it to a victory. Ferguson found his shot against Bishop Luers as he scored 20 of his 23 points in it.
His shooting, as he hit four 3-pointers in the second half, propelled Homestead to turn a 32-31 halftime lead into a 72-60 victory against Bishop Luers in the first quarterfinal game of the SAC Holiday Tournament Monday evening in Fort Wayne.
“He’s a heck of a shooter,” Homestead head coach Chris Johnson said. “Kid can shoot it, and I would love for him to play with a little bit more emotion at times, but he’s a smooth player.”
Ferguson’s shooting began a 10-0 run for Homestead in the fourth quarter, as he hit a 3-pointer that was then followed by Tahj Curry hitting another. This turned a two-point lead into a 12-point lead and Bishop Luers never got within a single possession the rest of the way.
While Ferguson’s shooting was certainly a strong point for Homestead, it also got great play from Curry, Brandon Durnell, and Parker Manges. Curry was especially critical in a do-everything role as he finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
Manges finished with 16 points to go with four rebounds, and Durnell proved to be a critical asset inside. He battled against Bishop Luers Sydney Curry, a top freshman player in the state, and 6-foot-5 Jordan Banks. Durnell showed he could compete against the best by finishing with 15 points and five rebounds.
“He’s a very underrated player,” Johnson said of Durnell. “I had high expectations for him this year. He would, at the end of the year last year when we went on our run, he came up and practiced against us, against (current Purdue player) Caleb (Swanigan) and (current Colgate player) Dana (Batt), and he held his own. We had high expectations for him and he’s holding up to those standards right now.”
Homestead’s play through this group was also vital in limiting the Knights main offensive options. The Spartans employed a box-and-one, and it helped hold J.J. Foster to five shots and four points. It also helped limit Sydney Curry’s chances to get possession as he finished with 10 points on six shots and four rebounds.
It did open up the play for Ray Walker, though, who capitalized by finding open spots in the zone to lead Bishop Luers with 23 points, three steals and three rebounds.
This play gave Homestead its first victory in the event played since 1975 as the school joined the Summit Athletic Conference this season.
“This is a new chapter for Homestead basketball as far as being in this and being in the SAC,” Johnson said. “Got first step out of the way by beating a very good Luers team, and now see what we can do in the semifinal game come Wednesday night.”