Amity 70, Yamhill-Carlton 63: Five Takeaways
There was some murmurs that the game shouldn’t have even been played. But the third place game between Amity and Yamhill-Carlton still took place on Saturday afternoon at Central High School and in the end, it benefited both teams. Amity…
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Continue ReadingThere was some murmurs that the game shouldn’t have even been played. But the third place game between Amity and Yamhill-Carlton still took place on Saturday afternoon at Central High School and in the end, it benefited both teams. Amity rode a 20-1 run in the third quarter on its way to a 70-63 win, but in the end both teams got enough from the game to give them momentum into the post-season.
Amity led the game 16-14 after the first quarter and 37-32 at the half, but it was the third quarter when they really made their run. Junior Josh Wart scored 12 points during the Warriors run in the period and Amity held a comfortable 60-41 lead at the quarter’s end. Yamhill-Carlton fought back in the fourth and threatened to cut the lead to single digits, but the Warriors had enough of a cushion to hold on for the win.
“It was about pride,” said Amity head Scott Nelson. “You never want to back into the playoffs with a loss or in our case, what would have been back-to-back losses. So it meant something to us to go out there and play hard. We played well and we played confident.”
Big Win for the Warriors
With the win, the Warriors solidified their number four ranking and thus look to be in good shape to make it to the Final Four of the 2A bracket. Amity looked good especially in the third quarter, and the momentum from their victory should carry over into their first round matchup against Nyssa.
Wart is a Star
Especially at the 3A level, it’s incredibly hard to contain Josh Wart. The 6-foot-7 junior is built like a brick house and he has the athletic ability to finish above the rim. Against Yamhill-Carton, he pretty much did whatever he wanted to whether it was posting up, driving to the hoop while facing up, or even stepping up and hitting the three. He could not be stopped on the boards on either end of the floor. In the end, Wart finished with 28 points and 17 rebounds in a performance that seemingly has been the norm this season.
Warriors Have Help on the Wings
Wart is far from being a one-man team for Amity. The Warriors have two 6-foot-4 wings on the perimeter in juniors Isaac Watcherson and Keenan Graham and both did plenty of damage in Saturday’s game. Watcherson has a soft touch from beyond the arc, hitting a few catch-and-shoot threes. Graham can also shoot the ball, but has the ability to create off the dribble and finish around the hoop. Watcherson finished with 15 points and 6 rebounds while Graham tallied 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Twins the Tigers Future
They may be only freshmen but twins Moroni and Malachi Roberts have been the backbone of Yamhill-Carlton this season. While they may share the same birthdate, they boast different games. Moroni is the more physically built of the two and he earned his 21 points by posting up and getting to the bucket, drawing plenty of fouls in the process. He also hit the boards hard on both ends grabbing 15. Malachi is the more perimeter-oriented of the two, knocking down some threes in scoring 17 points.
Yamhill-Carlton Turnaround Continues
It’s incredible to believe that last season – head coach Heather Roberts’ first at the school – Yamhill-Carlton finished with only 4 wins and now they sit at 16 victories and have earned a spot in the post-season, sneaking in as the #16 seed. While the odds of continuing on playing at #1 and two-time defending champ De La Salle North will be slim, there’s no doubt that the Tigers will battle and the future looks bright with almost all of their players coming back next season.