By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights boys basketball extended their winning streak to four games Saturday afternoon with a dominant 80-33 victory over Pittsburg in coach Ken Darting’s final regular-season home game.
Junior Cam Ross led Shawnee Heights with a game-high 21 points in Saturday's 80-33 win over Pittsburg. [File photo/TSN]
The T-Birds came out firing, opening the contest on a 9-0 run.
Senior Ja’Veon Alston scored four of those early points, setting the tone on both ends of the floor.
Pittsburg finally got on the board with a 3-pointer two minutes into the first quarter, but Cam Ross and Alston answered immediately to push the Heights lead to 13-3.
Alston’s defensive intensity created multiple turnovers, leading to easy scoring opportunities. He added his eighth point of the quarter as the T-Birds stretched the advantage to 15.
The Thunderbirds closed the first quarter on a 10-4 run, with Ross scoring five of those points, to take a commanding 30-9 lead.
Ross finished with a game-high 21 points, 15 of which came in the first half.
“I have to credit our defense mainly that allowed me to get to the basket and score,” Ross said. “My point guard, Javion, plays really good defense. He was able to force turnovers and find me slashing to the basket, and just having each other’s back on defense and offense.”
Darting emphasized the team’s defensive identity.
“We're defensive oriented, and we don't have a lot of offensive talent, but if we play the game right and we take the shots we can make, then we're good, because the defense is consistent,” Darting said. “We knew nothing about Pittsburg, so we came in with a mindset of going to get them and figure things out. I thought we did exactly what we needed to do going into playoffs.”
Senior Jaimarion Cook sparked a huge second-quarter surge.
The T Birds went on a 17-0 run midway through the period that carried to halftime, with Cook scoring 10 of his 18 points during the stretch.
Heights entered the locker room with a 51-18 advantage. The second half brought more of the same.
The T-Birds outscored the Dragons 23-7 in the third quarter, highlighted by a 21-0 run.
Sophomore Malachi Lee scored all eight of his points during that burst, including six straight, as the lead ballooned to 74-25, triggering a running clock in the fourth quarter.
The T-Birds had three players finish in double figures and continued to show balanced scoring -- something Darting believes is crucial for postseason success.
“That's where we have to do it,” Darting said. “We don't have that 35-point guy. But if one of the four has an off night, we’ve got trouble. Our margin of difference is defense. We’ve got to be able to hold teams substantially under their average.”
With the regular season home slate complete, the T-Birds now turn their attention to Seaman, a team that handed them a 56-47 loss on Feb. 10 at Heights.
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 80, PITTSBURG 33
Pittsburg 9 9 7 8 -- 33
Shawnee Heights 30 21 23 6 -- 80
Pittsburg (9-13) -- Durden 3-3 0-0 7, Navaratnam 2-10 0-0 5, Davis 1-3 2-3 4, Jessee 1-1 0-0 3, Miller 0-1 0-0 0, Thomas 2-6 4-7 8, Cox 1-3 0-0 3, Moss 1-1 0-0 2, Meadows 0-3 1-2 1, Samuel 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 11-32 7-12 33.
Shawnee Heights (15-7) -- Ross 8-15 5-6 21, Cook 6-12 2-2 18, Dixon 5-9 2-3 12, Alston 4-6 0-0 8, Scott 3-3 0-0 7, Lee 3-3 2-2 8, Becker 0-1 4-4 4, Vega 1-1 0-0 2, Holloran 0-1 0-0 0, Wallace 0-1 0-0 0, Fletcher 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-53 15-17 80.
3-point goals -- Pittsburg 4 (Durden, Navaratnam, Jessee, Cox), Shawnee Heights 5 (Cook 4, Scott). Total Fouls -- Pittsburg 15, Shawnee Heights 17. Technical Fouls -- Durden.
