Zoe Collins Rath
Dec 31, 2021
The final game of the tournament showcased what makes Petersburg boys basketball so special because in their 80-64 win over the Monacan Chiefs, it was a team effort all around with some surprises.
It started tight with a lot of back and forth up the court. Petersburg went on a 4-0 run but the Chiefs were close behind with contact and fouls to keep Petersburg from getting too far ahead.
"They [Monacan] dictated the tempo and slowed the game down," said Head Coach Ryan Massenburg.
Petersburg had the lead at 16-11 in the first quarter and even though they were ahead they had to dictate the tempo of the game. When they dictate and control the game, they can win.
But it took them a while to get there.
The closes that Moncan got to take over the game was when they made their free throws from the line. It was 18-16 and shots from Chris Fields and Jamari Garnett could not be the only thing that could sustain the Wave.
The ball was inbounded from the side and a Monacan guard committed a back-court violation, with his heel crossing the half-court line. It was set off by the Monacan coaches who felt the call was unnecessary but they continued to yell their disapproval.
It irritated the referees to the point that they had to switch sides to keep the bench under control. Petersburg was playing okay, but if there was a moment that flipped the switch, it was that one.
With the ball back in hand, senior guard Tylik Lawrence drained a three followed by back-to-back points by Garnett, who would have 25 points on the night. The Wave was building and they showed no signs of stopping, especially with Garnett kicking it into gear.
"We were talking this week about getting him more touches and that was our goal in the last two games and tonight it really showed," Massenburg explained.
The starters were scoring but now it was Ronnell Johnson's turn and his field goal made it 36-24. Monacan responded with three of their own but Petersburgs offense could not be stopped.
Garnett and Lundy had strong scoring opportunities that put the Wave on top at the half, 42-27. But the Wave's switch was flipped and there was no turning back.
In spite of Monacan going on a 2-4 run, to make it 44-31, Petersburg was too far on a roll to be stopped. Fields would go to the line every time he was fouled and would get the and one. He would have 14 points on the night.
But Garnett would be too fast for anyone to stop because he demanded the ball. On fast breaks, he would be wide open and gather himself before he would soar to dunk. In his first attempt he got fouled but he made the free throws.
When it happened a second time, no one dared get in his way. Garnett became the go-to person for scoring in the third quarter with either a dunk or a three-point shot behind the arc.
"Chris is our go-to guy, but Jamari is our guy to get things going," Massenburg said.
But Garnett could not do it all. Kaymeign Lundy would drive to the basket in spite of any contact from Monacan to make it 63-39. But the supporting Wave was heating up. Jamar Hodges knocked down some buckets and had some post moves like Fields down low to make it 67-39.
With the clock winding down someone wanted to shoot a three-point shot but it was not the right moment. Junior Rayjuan Traynmah could not find his shot but senior CJ Claiborne did and made it 70-40 going into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the starters got their time to rest and the next round of players came in. While they only scored 10 points jump shots were dropping for the Crimson Wave that has not been seen in previous games.
"We are not a good outside shooting team...," Massenburg explained.
Through strong defense and easy shots, Petersburg was able to hold off the Chiefs 80-64. The Wave will not play another game until the new year, but Massenburg is optimistic about what the next few months hold for the season.
"We are really excited about where we are at right now," Massenburg concluded.