The Wildcats Varsity and 9th grade boys basketball teams both participated in the 2018 NTBA National tournament last week in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This is the Varsity recap.
Dunn started off sluggish in its first two match-ups of the week, the first of which coming against the West Virginia Young Kings. Junior Chrishaun Henry led the team with 15 points and 7 rebounds while senior Shiquan Cox followed up with a 13 point, 12 rebound double-double. Senior Maurice Williams rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points as the Wildcats dropped their first game by a score of 58-53.
Game two offered little rest before tip-off against Carolina Heat Elite. Cox led the team this time with 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks as Williams added 16 points and a couple of 3’s. However, this was not enough as Dunn lost their second-straight game 69-60.
The third game was a much-needed boost for the team against the Carolina Bay Ballers. Henry once again led the team with 18 points off of three 3’s thanks to a porous defense. Williams added 14 points and the team combined for 25 total rebounds as the Wildcats won in dominating fashion, including a Daniel Brady half-court buzzer beater, 72-54.
Game four continued the momentum from the previous match-up’s efficiency. Cox once again led the way with 18 points and 4 rebounds while Williams tallied 15 points, most of which from beyond the arc. Dunn defeated the Bluffton Bulls 63-57.
In the silver bracket quarterfinal game against the Charlotte Nets, Dunn was once again ready to compete. Cox and Henry were very efficient with 19 and 18 points, respectively. Senior Christion Greene put on an impressive display on the boards with 10 rebounds. The Wildcats moved on with a 54-50 victory.
With their final game of the tournament and the summer, the Wildcats met the PG Rams in the semifinals. Cox earned his second double-double of the week with 20 points and 10 rebounds. The Wildcats dropped their final game, 52-39.
This tournament marked the conclusion of the 2018 summer schedule for the Wildcats. It was a successful campaign that saw Dunn win several tournaments program-wide, including Varsity winning two in a row. They will return next spring after try-outs have concluded.
Back row: Head Coach Rodney Rowland, Shiquan Cox, Chrishaun Henry, Bookkeeper Stephanie Coxum. Middle: Daniel Brady, Maurice Williams, Christion Greene, Terrence Cooney. Front: Latrell McDougald, Kani McKinley, Jahad Hart.
