Ewing holds off Hamilton
HAMILTON >> Asked why Ewing High’s boys’ basketball team is 4-4 this year, Lawrence Joseph said “We’re just making it hard on ourselves.”
Asked if the Blue Devils did that against Hamilton West Tuesday night, Joseph responded, “Yes, a little bit.”
A little bit more than coach Shelly Dearden would like, in fact, but Ewing managed to repel two West challenges in taking a 61-50 victory.
After the Devils rolled to a 27-9 lead early in the second quarter, Hamilton (0-6) scored 14 straight and 16 of 18 to pull within 29-25. The Hornets had a chance to get closer but missed two free throws with 2:45 left in the half.
The Blue Devils proceeded to outscore West, 15-5, over the next 11:45 to open their largest lead at 50-30 after three quarters.
“When we went into the locker room, coach told us we stopped playing defense,” said Joseph, who had six points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots. “When we came out in the third quarter we put some pressure on them to get some turnovers and we got a lot points off that. We just had to play good defense and not let them score and run when we had the chance.”
To Hamilton’s credit, it continued to scrap and got within 5140 and 53-42 with over five minutes left. Once again, Ewing responded, as Hamilton could get no closer.
“I got a lot of gray hair man. . .a lot of gray hair,” Dearden said with a laugh. “I don’t know why we’re just not trying to put away games. It seems like we get the lead and we just stop playing or we let up playing. Instead of just putting their foot on the throat and continue on going, we just stop. I don’t even know how to answer it, except we just stop doing the things that got us the 20-point lead.”
Ewing, which played nearly the whole first half without guard Ryan Conde due to foul trouble, caught a break in the third quarter when Hamilton’s Dane Riley immediately got his fourth foul. Riley’s impact was huge when he was in, as he had 17 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots.
That enabled Joseph and Jon Azoroh to have their way inside, as Azoroh had 15 points and seven rebounds. Edamiyon Doggett led Ewing with 17 points while Justin Reed had 11.
Hamilton got 16 from Cosby Paul, but hurt itself by missing eight of 13 foul shots (Ewing was 19-for-28). Conde made up for his first-half absence with six second-half points and several sweet assists. Joseph was consistent throughout as his rebounding limited Hamilton to one shot when Ewing went on its initial run.
“He’s only 6-2 and he plays like he’s 6-6, 6-7,” Dearden said. “He’s very good, very strong. He takes pride in getting rebounds and blocking shots and being down there. People don’t realize how quick he is, that’s why he’s able to block some shots and do the things he does. He may not have scored a lot for us but he was a definitely impact on the defensive end.”
Azoroh 6-3-15, Doggett 6-3-17, Reed 1-9-11, Conde 2-2-6, Preston 1-0-2, Joseph 2-2-6, Bell 2-0-4, Sparks 0-0-0.
20-19-61.
Pual 6-1-16, Bethea 3-1-7, Riley 8-1-17, Harrington 0-0-0, Ndeh 1-0-2, Charles 1-0-2, Yon 0-0-0, Then 2-0-4, Washington 0-2-2.
21-5-50.