Veterans hold off a late rally for win over rival Warner Robins to improve to 16-1
Veterans staved off a late rally by the Warner Robins Demons to hold on for a 73-65 win in a crosstown rivalry game on Friday.
The Warhawks jumped out to an early lead behind a 13-4 run.
Senior guard Horace Johnson got going with three first-quarter buckets and a free throw to lead Veterans to a 20-13 lead heading into the second quarter. He finished the game with 14 points.
Warner Robins Reshaun Tomlin gave the visiting crowd something to celebrate in the second quarter with a dunk.
Hot-shooting from the free-throw line was the story of the first half.
The Warhawks shot 11 of 13 from the charity stripe while the Demons went 7 of 17. Veterans took a 37-27 lead at the half. Senior guard Jaylyn Williams paced the team with 11 points in the first half. He finished with 19.
Warner Robins senior point guard Keshun Houser got hot after half as he helped cut the Warhawks lead to two points. The Demons went on an 8-0 run to close the third quarter. Houser hit a pair of key three-pointers as they looked to capture a comeback win.
The Demons held senior guard James Ellis in check for most of the game not allowing a bucket through three quarters.
Ellis knocked down a pair of threes and a reverse layup to give Veterans a lead for good. The Warhawks pulled away down the stretch, outscoring Warner Robins 22-18 in the final quarter.
Veterans improve to 16-1 while Warner Robins falls to 12-3.
Three stars:
Veterans James Ellis: He had a quiet night overall butcame through when his team needed him most. Warner Robins cut the lead to two before Ellis got hot with a pair of threes and a reverse layup. He also had a key steal that led to a dunk at the other end.
Veterans Jaylyn Williams: He scored a game high 19 points. He also had a pair of monster dunks that sent the home crowd into a frenzy. Williams was the spark plug for the offense for most of the game.
Warner Robins Keshun Houser: He finished with 13 points for the Demons. Houser was a big part of why Warner Robins kept it close for much of the game. He was also the emotional leader on the court as he willed his team on after getting down early.
They said it
“I think it was huge in this game because they had just made that run. I think they cut it two and we made a couple of big baskets by James.” - Veterans head coach Brett Hardy on momentum-swinging baskets.
“I think it’s what we’ve told our guys all year, we want to be our best in Feb. and March. We knew Warner Robins was sitting down here on the schedule and we knew it was going to be a huge, huge challenge.” - Hardy on gaining momentum for a playoff push.
This story was originally published January 10, 2020 at 11:24 PM.