Home > Forums

Granby Ends Warwick's Unbeaten Streak, 60-57

By Tris Wykes

Anthony Wooten of Warwick draws the foul from Darius Lee. (Rob Ostermaier photos)

The Warwick High boys basketball record is no longer unblemished after a 60-57 loss to Granby on Friday in the Southside Challenge tournament's opening game. Warwick entered undefeated at 6-0 and rallied from a 13-point deficit with five minutes to play at Heritage High.

``I'm disappointed but I'm not upset,'' said Warwick coach Ben Moore, whose team was led in scoring by Anthony Wooten with 19 points. ``It would have been nice to go through the whole season undefeated but this region is too stacked with good teams to do that.

``But that was a special comeback, wasn't it? We had a steal and the ball under the basket and we couldn't finish the play at the end.''

Moore was referring to a sequence with 22 seconds remaining, just after Darius Conley (15 points) banked in a shot that pulled Warwick within 56-54. Granby's Derek Staton dropped the subsequent inbounds pass and a wild scramble ensued that moved the ball and flying bodies into the lane and then out to center court.

Granby's Darius Lee eventually gained possession and was immediately fouled. He sank the fifth and sixth of his eight consecutive free-throw conversions in the final 1:08 and the Comets hung on despite Wooten's 3-point basket with two seconds to play.

Moore felt his team was drained even before the game started after a hard-fought Peninsula District defeat of Denbigh less than 24 hours earlier. And starting guards Eric Dubose and Melvin Horne fouled out in the late going, further hamstringing the Raiders' effort.

``I'm proud of that second and third group, they came in and scrapped,'' said Moore, referring to the likes of Lemont Lewis, Sam Crowler and Roderick Adkinson. ``They showed what we could do if the first group had played with the same intensity.''

Warwick led 11-8 after a quarter and trailed 24-23 at halftime and 39-31 entering the fourth quarter. Three minutes later, Dubose fouled out and the deficit had grown to 49-36.

The Raiders went on a 14-1 run over the next four minutes and seemed to have ripped momentum completely away from Granby (6-2) after Tracy Newsome stripped Keith Cooper of the ball and scored while being fouled with 2:43 to go. Newsome sank the free throw for a 3-point play and Warwick was only down 49-48.

Granby won the game on free throws, sinking 11 of 12 the rest of the way. But Moore left the gym in good spirits, playfully fist-bumping Heritage players waiting in the hallway to warm up for their contest with First Colonial.

``If there is ever a good loss, I guess this was it for us,'' the 21-year coach said. ``Now they know they've got to get things done by listening to me. When you win all the time, your players sometimes stop listening.

``We're still undefeated in district, that's how I'm going to look at it.''

Darius Conley of Warwick tries to get the rebound away from Dallis Joyner of Granby.

[GLYMONT]

Originally Posted by triswykes

Granby Ends Warwick's Unbeaten Streak, 60-57

By Tris Wykes

Anthony Wooten of Warwick draws the foul from Darius Lee. (Rob Ostermaier photos)

The Warwick High boys basketball record is no longer unblemished after a 60-57 loss to Granby on Friday in the Southside Challenge tournament's opening game. Warwick entered undefeated at 6-0 and rallied from a 13-point deficit with five minutes to play at Heritage High.

``I'm disappointed but I'm not upset,'' said Warwick coach Ben Moore, whose team was led in scoring by Anthony Wooten with 19 points. ``It would have been nice to go through the whole season undefeated but this region is too stacked with good teams to do that.

``But that was a special comeback, wasn't it? We had a steal and the ball under the basket and we couldn't finish the play at the end.''

Moore was referring to a sequence with 22 seconds remaining, just after Darius Conley (15 points) banked in a shot that pulled Warwick within 56-54. Granby's Derek Staton dropped the subsequent inbounds pass and a wild scramble ensued that moved the ball and flying bodies into the lane and then out to center court.

Granby's Darius Lee eventually gained possession and was immediately fouled. He sank the fifth and sixth of his eight consecutive free-throw conversions in the final 1:08 and the Comets hung on despite Wooten's 3-point basket with two seconds to play.

Moore felt his team was drained even before the game started after a hard-fought Peninsula District defeat of Denbigh less than 24 hours earlier. And starting guards Eric Dubose and Melvin Horne fouled out in the late going, further hamstringing the Raiders' effort.

``I'm proud of that second and third group, they came in and scrapped,'' said Moore, referring to the likes of Lemont Lewis, Sam Crowler and Roderick Adkinson. ``They showed what we could do if the first group had played with the same intensity.''

Warwick led 11-8 after a quarter and trailed 24-23 at halftime and 39-31 entering the fourth quarter. Three minutes later, Dubose fouled out and the deficit had grown to 49-36.

The Raiders went on a 14-1 run over the next four minutes and seemed to have ripped momentum completely away from Granby (6-2) after Tracy Newsome stripped Keith Cooper of the ball and scored while being fouled with 2:43 to go. Newsome sank the free throw for a 3-point play and Warwick was only down 49-48.

Granby won the game on free throws, sinking 11 of 12 the rest of the way. But Moore left the gym in good spirits, playfully fist-bumping Heritage players waiting in the hallway to warm up for their contest with First Colonial.

``If there is ever a good loss, I guess this was it for us,'' the 21-year coach said. ``Now they know they've got to get things done by listening to me. When you win all the time, your players sometimes stop listening.

``We're still undefeated in district, that's how I'm going to look at it.''

Darius Conley of Warwick tries to get the rebound away from Dallis Joyner of Granby.

I love Ben Moore to death, but how can you be disappointed, but not upset?

[VA High Sports]

Man, I can defenitly agree with you. Warwicks gueards played horribly and they did not touch an offensive or defensive rebound. If they would have played the same way they played against Bethel, they would still be undefeated. That was a game they should have won.