Zoe Collins Rath
Dec 12, 2021
Moving his feet and his hands ready, the referees saw senior guard, CJ Claiborne’s third foul in the first quarter of the game against Landstown and had to ride the bench for a while.
“He is our general,” said Head Coach Ryan Massenburg.
In his shoes came senior guard Kaymeign Lundy and junior Jamari Garnett. Both combined for 33 points as the rotation went from Petersburg’s one through seven guys to its second and seven with the game far from over.
“For one through eight to step up… and Lundy played big minutes for us,” said Massenburg.
The Wave had some luck shooting early when senior Tylik Lawerence drained a three-point shot in response to a Landstown three. Petersburg’s offense tried to play catch up as Landstown controlled the pace of the game.
Petersburg’s offense could not only rely on shooting since they shot 37% from the field. So they went with the bread and butter of junior, forward Chris Fields Jr. flashing at the elbow and going to work.
Fields had 18 points the whole game and just like in the Thomas Dale game. But scoring on the block proved difficult due to there being few foul calls when the ball would go up.
Sometimes Fields would be double-teamed, then triple-teamed and with pushing, reaching and hands going down as he tried to shoot, there was no foul call. All three of those are textbook reasons an official would call a shooting foul.
But when the Wave made it to the line, free throws were not dropping. Out of 36 attempts, only 22 counts.
“Free throw is what probably lost the game for us,” said Massenburg.
With the Wave trailing in at the start of the second, 15-13, they were still trying to get control of the game. It was with the defensive effort of Lundy where something could start.
Lundy had two steals during the game and during transitions, either take the ball up the court or lob a pass for an open Garnett. Fields too would have a couple of coast-to-coast moments from grabbing one of his 11 rebounds.
Petersburg was crashing the boards more in the second quarter, just like with Dale. Second chance points tipped it in as they took the half 31-28 and they regained control of the game.
Senior Bernard Fuller was able to help rebound and distribute the ball for a better shot. Fields either drove or went to work but the power of the Crimson Wave was back. If they got fouled, at the line they would make the and-one, most of the time.
The third quarter is when the Wave got into some trouble.
Landstown was making a comeback by forcing the referees to make calls that would send them to the free-throw line, minimizing the point gap. Even if the call was not a foul, the trip to the line would be successful since Landstown made their free throws.
They were 21-31 from the line.
But the Wave was still able to have some success as Lundy organized the offense. Garnett would be open in the corner for an open look or he would drive, not afraid of the contact to get the and-one. Garnett would have 11 points on the night.
If Garnett wasn’t open, Lundy would take matters into his own hands and dribble, jump stop, shoot for one of his 12 points. They were able to have a one-point lead.
Going into the fourth, Claiborne checked back into the game and the Wave’s pace was a lot quicker. Claiborne has the ability to push the ball out and his leadership demands his teammates step up.
Claiborne was able to push the Wave to score but Landstown would respond with an open drive to the basket. The Wave defense would help and would be in the perfect position to get a block or charge, but the officials would call a foul.
Every time it was a look of shock and frustration because Coach Massenburg and his players wanted to know why was there a foul called. The Wave did all they could on defense but the more fouls called, the more Wave players got into foul trouble and it looked like they didn't want to risk losing more players, especially when Lawerence fouled out.
It was tight and the Wave was able to hold on for as long as they could be the team from Virginia Beach made their free throws as the Wave did not play their defense.
With a final attempt at a shot, the Wave lost, 70-65 to Landstown.
“We gotta work on our defense and making our free throws,” concluded Massenburg.