Wooddale defeats Whitehaven, 79-71

<p>It didn’t take long for <strong>Johnathan Lawson</strong> and <strong>Chandler Lawson</strong> to get going offensively against Whitehaven.</p> <p>Their teammates followed suit as well.</p> <p>Chandler Lawson had 20 points, 20 rebounds, and six blocks, Johnathan Lawson added 17 points, nine boards, six assists, and four steals as Wooddale (12-2) defeated the Tigers 79-71 Monday night for its sixth straight win.</p> <p>The Cardinals never trailed and built a double-digit lead in the early minutes of the second quarter off a 3 from Chandler Lawson. Whitehaven cut its deficit to 30-23 after a made shot from Kavion McClain, then the Cardinals outscored the Tigers (10-4), 13-6, to go into halftime up 43-29.</p> <p>Johnathan Lawson scored five of the team’s final 13 points of the second quarter.</p> <p>“I feel good, because it’s getting our team chemistry good for district play,” said Johnathan Lawson, who connected on 5 of 7 shots from the field.</p> <p>Whitehaven made things interesting for a minute in the early minutes of the third quarter, with a 3-point play from junior guard <strong>Matthew Murrell</strong>. But, Wooddale made 6 of 8 shots from the free throw line to go up 49-34.</p> <p>Johnathan and Chandler Lawson saw double teams throughout the game, but they were still able to score from different areas of the court. The most impressive part of the Cardinals’ performance was the contributions from the rest of the team.</p> <p>Darrius Webster came off the bench to give Wooddale a huge spark offensively. He scored 13 points. Tekeavian Rounds added 11 points in 24 minutes of action.</p> <p>“When I got the job, I knew I was going to have a problem with the chemistry and the gelling of the team,” said Cardinals head coach Keelon Lawson, who admitted he didn’t expect the team to be on the same page 14 games into the season. “But, I knew once they started gelling together, we would be a better team.</p> <p>“I was happy for the guys off the bench to step up, because they’re going to double team Chandler and Johnathan. When they dump off, you just cut to the basket or when you get it, you just attack the rack. Those guys did it tonight.”</p> <p>Murrell led the Tigers with 16 points on 6 of 10 shooting to go with his seven rebounds. <strong>Jordan Wilmore</strong> added 13 points and four rebounds. He made 6 of 7 shots from the field.</p> <p><strong>3 takeaways</strong></p> <ul> <li>Whitehaven wouldn’t have dug itself a big hole if it would have made shots from the foul line and from the perimeter. Devine Owens went 1 for 6 from the free throw line. Murrell made 4 of 8 shots from the charity stripe.</li> <li>The Tigers didn’t attempt a lot of shots from 3-point range. Whitehaven made only three shots from beyond the arc. Alvin Miles, Desmond Bratcher, and Ragi Phillips made the three shots from deep for the Tigers.</li> <li>Wooddale’s supporting cast around Johnathan and Chandler Lawson has come alive during the team’s six-game winning streak. Both Lawson brothers will continue to see double teams for the rest of the season, but if everyone else can pitch in, the Cardinals are going to be tough to beat.</li> </ul>