Sanderson boys basketball
Following Wednesday's victory over Lee County in the Chatlee Shootout championship game, members of the Sanderson boys basketball team gather with the first-place plaque.
Spartans rise above the rest in Chatlee Shootout
Just before the conclusion of the Sanderson boys basketball team's 52-47 victory over Lee County in the Chatlee Shootout's championship game Wednesday night — and before the plaque presentation as well as customary team photo — Spartan head coach Mike Shaw shared his own small celebration with his team.
One by one, walking down the sideline, the head coach slapped the hand of each player — most of them starters as the Spartan back-ups ran the contest's final minute off the clock.
It was a small, simple gesture acknowledging the group's accomplishment.
Later Shaw admitted in the grand scheme of the Spartans' season, the championship might not carry a lot of weight, but regardless, it's worth celebrating.
"Although the tournament doesn't mean a whole lot in terms of our league record, and making the playoffs, it definitely helps build confidence," he explained. "I think this is great to catapult us back into conference play, and help us build some momentum to get back to where we want to be."
Click here for highlights of the Sanderson/Lee County boys basketball game.
If the Shootout's three-day test provided anything, it showed the Spartans have the talent and desire to overcome adversity, including some self-inflicted miscues.
After a lethargic start in their opener against East Wake Monday — though Sanderson prevailed 63-59 — the Spartans were forced to stave off second-half pushes from both East Chapel Hill and Lee County to win the tournament title. (Coincidentally, Sanderson lost to East Chapel Hill in last year's championship finale.)
In fact Wednesday, Sanderson was essentially forced to defeat the Yellow Jackets twice, squandering a 10-point third-quarter lead, only to regain another sizable lead in the final two minutes of the game.
"They had a really good game plan to slow us down, and we really wanted to speed it up, if we could," Shaw said. "We got a little greedy in the second half, and that's when they came back."
Added senior Kevin Black "It seemed like we were really frustrated throughout the tournament, but we always found ways to win."
Early on, Lee County kept the Spartans off balance by slowing down the action, and the teams combined to score just 17 points in the first quarter — though Sanderson had a narrow 9-8 advantage.
In the second quarter, the Yellow Jackets jumped out early, taking a five-point led, but Black and Gloire Biongo kept the Spartans within reach, each hitting a three-pointer.
Sanderson closed out the opening half with a strong push, scoring seven of the period's last eight points, and taking a 23-20 advantage into the break.
Just how balanced was the Spartans' attack? At intermission, four Sanderson players had five points apiece.
Senior Chris Carter opened the second half with a bang, converting an alley-oop dunk, igniting a 9-2 run. The Spartan surge was capped by DJ Turner's trey from the corner, giving Sanderson a 32-22 lead with 4:50 left in the third.
Kevin Black (with ball) prepares to shoot over a Lee County defender Wednesday night.
But Carter was soon forced to the bench with his fourth foul, and Lee County rallied with the big man on the bench and trailed 33-32 entering the final period.
With the game on the line, Black showed plenty of senior leadership, scoring the first four points of the fourth quarter and giving the Spartans some breathing room. And with 1:30 left, Carter essentially ended the game, nailing a jumper, pushing the Sanderson advantage to nine points, 46-37. The Yellow Jackets made a late push, but the game was already out of reach.
Matt James led the Spartans with 13 points, and 11 rebounds. Carter and Black added nine points, Turner scored eight and Franklin Wolfe and Biongo had five apiece.
Black lauded James' performance throughout the tournament, explaining the lengthy forward was the team's glue.
"Matt had a great couple games here," the guard said. "He was doing everything, and he held us together."
With the holiday tournament over, the Spartans turn their attention to their Cap-7 Conference schedule, which starts up Tuesday, Jan. 5, hosting Leesville Road.
While the victories at the Shootout mean little come next week, Black believes the Spartans' success should translate.
"This has been good preparation for the conference championship, to help us take on teams like Enloe and Millbrook and everybody else," he said. "Hopefully, this should help us win later on."
