In the first round of the MHSAA 5A playoffs, North Pike’s boys basketball team advanced with a comfortable 53-36 win over Wayne County on Friday in Waynesboro.
The third-seeded Jaguars went on the road and took care of business in a hostile environment, in large part thanks to some stellar defense and perimeter shooting.
“It was a great team win, we came out fast and played great defense overall,” head coach Terrell Anderson said. “They started in man but switched to a 1-3-1 zone, and that’s when I put our sharpshooter Ahmaad Matthews into the game.”
Matthews certainly lived up to his reputation, as he was red-hot from behind the arc throughout the night, knocking down seven triples on his way to leading North Pike with 23 total points.
Backcourt mate Quinterious Thompson tallied 13 points as well, and forward Kentravious Johnson tacked on 10.
“Our team defense held their leading scorer to zero points in the first half, and Quinterious [Thompson] controlled the game with how he ran the offense and played defense,” Anderson explained. “Kentravious [Johnson] grabbed rebound after rebound, and Cedric McGhee was a great leader in keeping the guys focused all night.”
Anderson also pointed at Zack McArthur and Logan Lenard as pesky defenders that hounded Wayne County’s top scorers all night.
Up next, the Jaguars (18-10, 3-6) face top-seeded South Jones at 7 p.m. on Saturday in the second round of the 5A state playoffs. The game will be played at Pearl River Community College.
It’s a familiar foe for North Pike, as it has already played the Braves on three separate occasions through district action this season, falling in each game.
