TOWN AND COUNTRY – Jahadi White Jr. described his first half as ‘trippin.’
The Chaminade sophomore center missed shots near the basket, had trouble securing rebounds and entered the locker room with an unremarkable four points.
“I was just kind of trippin’ the first half – missing layups, not getting to spots I needed to be on defense – but I came into the second half with different energy,” White said.
A re-energized White found his footing by scoring 15 of his 19 points in the second half and helped power Chaminade to a 65-59 victory over CBC Friday in a Metro Catholic Conference showdown at CBC High School.
Chaminade (3-1, 1-0 MCC), which has advanced to the state semifinals in six of the previous nine seasons, defeated CBC for the second consecutive time, including the Class 6 District 3 championship game last season.
With the Red Devils clinging to a 31-25 halftime lead, White immediately became a force in the paint and on the glass. He scored the first four Red Devils’ points on a baseline post move and a putback. Twice, he accepted a pass and immediately turned and banked it in before additional CBC defenders arrived.
White’s quick, eight-point flurry was spurred by sound guidance at halftime from Chaminade coach Frank Bennett.
“There’s never a perfect angle to finish at the basket,” Bennett said. “Don’t put it down and gather your feet and line everything up before you shoot the basketball, just catch and finish. He did a very good job adjusting, and as a result, he helped us get the win.”
Before White became a potent force in the second half, the guard tandem of Collin Perry and Jonny Jordan Jr. helped the Red Devils jump out to an early first quarter lead.
Perry scored on a layup right off the jump ball, and 30 seconds later, drained a wing-3 to stake Chaminade to a 5-0 lead – a lead the Red Devils would never relinquish.
Jordan sank three mid-range jumpers off the dribble, as the duo combined for 11 first quarter points to help the Red Devils build a 15-10 lead after one quarter.
“It’s a game of runs, and it was good to have a little cushion,” Perry said. “We know these games (with CBC) are going to be fights when we come into them, and when we punch first, it gives us the upper hand for the rest of the game.”
Perry led a stifling defensive effort for Chaminade in the second quarter. Guarding CBC prolific scorer Terron Garrett man-to-man, Perry made it difficult for Garrett to receive the ball and contested every shot.
“He’s a great scorer and I think of myself as a great defender,” Perry said. “I’m not scared to guard anybody. I’m going to take whatever assignment they give me and guard to the best of my ability.”
CBC (4-2, 1-1) managed only one made field goal over the first five minutes of the second quarter, and after an acrobatic layup by Jacob Robinson, a 3-ball by Madden Irving and a breakaway layup by Perry, Chaminade built a 13-point cushion, 25-12.
“With the new rule – after five (fouls), you get two (free throws) – there’s an emphasis on defending without fouling, and I thought we did a pretty good job in that regard,” Bennett said. “Limiting them to one tough shot and rebounding the basketball helped us in the second quarter.”
But led by excellent bench minutes by senior Doreon Dubose, who scored 11 points, CBC clawed its way back into the game.
A 30-foot assist from Garrett to a cutting Dubose quelled the Chaminade run. A Garrett hoop in transition followed by a tough Dubose runner helped the Cadets trim the deficit to 31-25 at intermission.
White commanded the paint for Chaminade in the third quarter, but his performance was aided by the stoic leadership in the center of the floor from Perry, who stood in the teeth of the CBC full-court pressure and calmly ran the show.
“When the game is going a little fast, I like to get it under control, settle us down and get the best shot possible,” said Perry, who scored a season-high 17 points.
After a blocked shot by White sent Perry away for an old-fashioned, three-point play, the Red Devils’ opened their second 13-point cushion of the game, 55-42 with 4 minutes 41 seconds remaining.
But CBC turned up its full court pressure another notch and stole possessions. A Jayden Reed jumper, a Devin Houston layup, a Landon Schlanger finger roll and a Garrett conversion off an out-of-bounds play sliced the deficit to 57-51 with 2:11 remaining.
Garrett led all scorers with 23 points, including eight in the final three minutes.
“In the fourth quarter, we weren’t very focused, so that will be an area for us to watch film and continue to grow from,” Bennett said.
The ease at which CBC was getting to the rim prompted Chaminade to play a zone defense for the final minutes. That defensive adjustment forced CBC into off-target, perimeter shots down the stretch and helped the Red Devils preserve the victory at the free throw line.
“You’ve got to be open-minded and see what works for the guys, and fortunately, (the zone) worked well for us tonight,” Bennett said.
It should be a season of discovery for the young, talented Red Devils, which have only one senior on the roster. Eight players scored for Chaminade on Friday, including sophomore Tricy Collins, who drained the final two free throws to seal the win.
“We’re deep, we’re versatile, and we have a lot of people who can produce,” Perry said. “Our depth will help us win games.”
Bennett added, “We have talent and we have a lot to learn. That’s a fun part of the process.”