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The Petersburg Wave crashes the boards to top Thomas Dale on the road 63-52.

Zoe Collins Rath

Dec 10, 2021

Petersburg shooters could not get anything to fall in the net, but leave it to F^2 to make up for the lack of field goal shooting.

"They [forwards junior Chris Fields Jr. and senior Bernard Fuller] work really well together," said Head Coach Ryan Massenburg at the end of their 63-52 victory over the Thomas Dale Knights.

F^2 combined for a total of 39 points and most of them came from second-chance opportunities. At the end of practice before the game on Wednesday, Massenburg said the Wave had to crash the boards if they were going to win.

But it took them a while to dominate the rebounds.

The Knights drew first blood with a three after back and forth missed shots and turnovers. Petersburg tried to get in a groove but shots were not falling.

The Wave eventually got on the board but they had to play catch up because Dale's shots were helping them pull away. Petersburg would rebound for second-chance opportunities but those did not fall either because it was either too short or too much where it bounced out.

Finally, junior forward Jamari Garnett popped a three-point shot from the corner to make it 10-6 with seconds left in the first quarter. But the Knights would respond with a layup in the final seconds to make it 12-6.

The first quarter made it look like the Wave was not in control of the game. Watching the film on the Knights showed that if the Wave was in control, they can win. So, Petersburg had to get back in control and they started with the basics.

The Wave defense started blocking shots and playing the defense they know how to play. Senior guard CJ Claiborne forced a five-second violation and the Wave started boxing out.

Senior guard Tylik Lawerence helped keep Thomas Dale at the perimeter and if a shot went up, he and F^2 would crash. With the ball secured they would start the offense and they would score 19 points in the second quarter.

Realizing that rebounding and second-chance shots would help win the game, the Wave spent more time inside the arc than taking shots. If a Wave jump shot was a bit short, it was all hands on deck to get the ball. If a Knight missed, Petersburg would secure down low and lob for a fast break.

Fuller would get a missed shot and crash into his opponents to make space. He would go up strong and contort his body to make a layup. His six points in the quarter would help the Wave take half 25-21.

While the Wave continued to crash the boards at the start of the second half, they had had to figure out how to put away Dale.

In comes Claiborne's leadership in the third quarter.

In the opening seconds, to save possession, Claiborne dives into the Dale bench to save the ball. Even though the possession stayed with Dale, the switch in the senior general clicked and he went to work down low.

"He is our floor general," Massenburg said.

Claiborne would get the ball in the corner or around the arc. He would drive, timing it right where he could get the shot off and get fouled. At the line, he would mean-mug. So focused to knock down each free throw.

32-27 Petersburg.

The Wave would get a turnover and get the ball back, and from the arc, Claiborne knocked down a three.

35-30 Petersburg.

Now it was time for Fields to take over, with a play that could not be stopped. Fields would get the ball on the block, feeling where his defender was. Then with a decisive dribble, create space for a reverse, bank look, or a floater.

If the ball did not fall, Fuller and Claiborne were there to tip the ball in or pass to so Lawerance can reset the offense. Repeat and the Wave pulled away.

"He really took control of the game," Massenburg said of Claiborne.

With everyone crashing the boards and going to work, the Wave was able to maintain possession and score.

The clock was winding down in the third quarter, Lawerance grabs the rebound and passes to an open Fields. He loses the ball on the dribble as he puts up a shot that was short. But before the buzzer goes, Fuller saves the bucket that made the game 47-36.

At the start of the fourth, Petersburg forced a Dale turnover. An open Fields would catch the ball on the fast break, spin, and go for the layup. The ball would hang on the rim but a Dale defender would knock it out bouncing the ball of the backboard.

The goaltending call made it 49-36.

The Knights would still try and get an offense going to come back. A few easy shots and a backdoor look would do the trick. But the Wave was in control of the pace and scoring.

It was a repeat of the third quarter and the Wave out bodied the Knights on the block and for rebounds.

Claiborne would drive baseline and make a reverse layup.

Fuller would win a tip battle down on the block.

Lawerance and Fields would go coast-to-coast respectively after getting Dale missed shots.

It was a final score of 63-52 as the Wave takes home another victory. While Massenburg said "anyone can carry us", it can be sometimes mean only scoring.

But what carried the Wave was everyone crashing the boards and getting rebounds for fast breaks or scores. The second-chance shots made a difference.

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