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Freshman Collin Lewis continued his hot play in a big way on Thursday night as his 19 points helped propel the Junior Varsity Wildcats to a 63-49 win over Sanderson.
Lewis, who had averaged 5 points per game through the first eight games of his JV career, has turned things up a notch to the tune of averaging 12 points per game over his last four contests. What stood out the most in his performane against Sanderson was the fact that he came off the bench to lead the team in scoring.
Terrin Dunn kept Sanderson at bay in the opening five minutes of the first quarter. He opened the game, a perfect 5-5 from the field to give the Spartans an early 11-10 lead. That's when Coach Ledford shook things up with wholesale changes to take the lead right back. Sophomore, Joesph Boletepeli grabbed an offensive rebound, and put it back for the score to make it a 13-11 game, then it was Lewis who launched a deep three from the left wing to add a little insurance. He made sure to tack on some more at the start of the second quarter with Millbrook ahead 17-13. Kevin Holmes found Lewis on the right wing this time, and from well beyond the arc, it was nothing but net. On Millbrook's next offensive possession, it was one Lewis hooking up with another as Isaiah drove to the lane and dished out to Collin on the right wing for a second consecutive three pointer. The Wildcats got a stop on the defensive end which led to Lewis going coast-to-coast for another basket that would force Sanderson coach, Steve Klein to burn a timeout with his Spartans trailing 25-17.
Millbrook would come out of the timeout, and find Lewis one more time for a long three. He went 4-5 from beyond the arc in the first half, and entered half time with 15 points. 11 of the JV Wildcats 14 points in the second quarter came from the left hand of the 5'10 Freshman who would finish with a team high 19.
The second half would see Jabari Brown get to the hole twice in the early going before Isaiah Lewis converted on a three point play in the lane. Following the made free throw, Lewis would steal a pass on the other end, and draw another foul that would lead to a pair of free throw makes. He led Millbrook in scoring in the second half with 6 points, 4 coming on 5 free throws.
Brown got in on the fun with a steal and skipped a bounce pass to Boletepeli who was streaking towards the basket in transition. The 6'4, 255 pound forward grabbed the pass and got the finger roll to fall at the rim. Graham Watkins then found Boletepeli in the short corner for a pull up jumper that would extend the Wildcats' lead to 13 points. Boletepeli scored a career high 6 points, and grabbed a career high 6 rebounds in the game.
Sanderson wasn't done as it was Terrin Dunn who would continue to pace the Spartans by getting to the rack for baskets. He managed to cut the deficit to single digits late with his only three of the night to lead all scorers with 23 points, but the Wildcats were just too much on the other end as Xavier Fennell grabbed a series of offensive rebounds and put them back up to increase the lead to double digits late. Fennell recorded a double-double (10 Points, 10 Rebounds) for Millbrook, along with Sanderson's Jacob Feinstein who was second on the Spartans in scoring with 10 points (11 rebounds).
With the win, Millbrook improves to 11-1 on the season, 6-0 in the Cap-8 Conference as they head into what may be one of their toughest week's of the season. The JV Wildcats tip-off at Jordan High School at 10 AM on Monday as part of the Falcons' MLK Day tournament. Two nights later, Coach Ledford and Company hit the road to take on Leesville, a team that topped the Wildcats at their place last season, and to wrap up the week, the Wildcats hit the road for a third consecutive game as they take on Enloe in a Quad at 5:00. Millbrook defeated the JV Eagles 61-36 back on December 11th, Xavier Fennell led Millbrook in scoring that night with 14 points.
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