Whyatt Foster has a new plan for special occasions: new shoes.
The yellow, navy, and teal sneakers Foster sported Friday night for the New Hope High School boys basketball team’s game against Oxford weren’t pristine. The senior center had broken in the tri-color low-top sneakers in practice, but he hadn’t worn them in a game, so technically they fit the bill.
Foster might want to reconsider wearing those sneakers from here on out because every game is going to be special.
Foster scored 14 points, while Shemar Johnson added a game-high 22 to help New Hope cap a rousing Senior Night performance with an 86-63 victory against Oxford in the Class 5A, Region 2 finale for both teams.
“They are our biggest rivals, so we have to put on a show for the crowd,” Foster said. “It is a different atmosphere (when we play Oxford). We had the crowd on our side. When we get it done on defense, we can score easy buckets.”
In the girls game, D.J. Sanders scored 21 points to lead four players in double figures in a 69-34 victory. The win allowed New Hope (22-2, 6-0 region) to wrap up an undefeated district slate.
In the boys game, Demyis Mayberry had 18 points, Jaylon Bardley chipped in with 13, and senior Tae Latham followed with six to help the Trojans (10-11, 4-2) record a season-high point total.
The victory also allowed New Hope to secure the No. 2 seed in the district tournament at Saltillo High. West Point, New Hope, and Oxford tied for first with 4-2 records, but West Point, which lost both its games to Oxford, earned the top seed based on point differential. West Point beat New Hope twice in the regular season. Saltillo will be the No. 4 seed.
New Hope has games next week against Louisville (Tuesday) and Caledonia (Thursday). Those gams will be warmups for the district tournament, which kicks off next Tuesday.
New Hope coach Drew McBrayer hopes New Hope can build on the energy and unselfishness it displayed Friday night.
“We shot the ball well tonight,” McBrayer said. “We did a pretty decent job defending, especially in the first half. I think we let a little bit get away in the second half. We played well against West Point on Tuesday night, but we couldn’t make a shot when we needed to.”
New Hope didn’t fold after Oxford (17-8, 4-2) hit two 3-pointers to start the second half. The Chargers first cut the 40-23 halftime deficit to 13 points and then used a 12-2 run later in the third quarter to trim the Trojans’ advantage to 56-45 on a 3-pointer by KT McCollins with 2 minutes, 6 seconds remaining in the quarter.
McBrayer called timeout and chastised his players for being “selfish.” New Hope missed jumps shots early in offensive sets on the three prior offensive possessions, so McBrayer challenged his players not to “jack up shots” and to “turn the energy back up.” He also encouraged the Trojans to get the ball back inside to exploit their size edge. New Hope responded by getting the ball to Terryonte Thomas for a layup off a pump fake. Latham then converted a basket off a drive-and-dish assist from Bardley. Those buckets were part of a 10-0 run that pushed the lead back to 21 points and allowed New Hope to shift into cruise control.
Oxford coach Drew Tyler credited New Hope for its fast start. He said the Trojans have shot the ball well in both meetings (the Trojans won 67-53 on Jan. 17 in Oxford). He also said his team didn’t do enough defensively to make things difficult for New Hope. After the fast start, Johnson, Bardley, and Mayberry fueled New Hope by playing in rhythm and creating shots for themselves off the dribble or in transition.
“We have to disrupt their offense and give them a reason not to shoot the ball well, and we haven’t done that,” Tyler said. “We haven’t been the aggressor both times, and they have. It is a little frustrating, but maybe there is a win coming in the district tournament in the semifinals.”
Even though Oxford broke out to a 3-0 lead, in part thanks to Josh Gibbs hitting 1 of 2 free throws due to a technical foul on New Hope (dunking in warmups), New Hope used a 16-2 run to seize control from the start. Tyler said that has been the case in both meetings. He said the fast starts have forced Oxford to play man-to-man defense, which makes things a little easier for New Hope because it can create matchup problems.
“Man for man they are able to have a lot of driving lanes,” Tyler said. “At the same time, they do a good job of finding the open man on the perimeter. As far as our game plan, we really haven’t been able to get into it because we have been trying to cut a deficit. We will do some things different in the district tournament. In my 17 years as a head coach, I have been in this spot numerous times and we have been able to get in there and win the district tournament.”
It also helped that Foster played as many minutes as he did. Arguably the team’s strongest and best inside player, Foster has been plagued by foul problems this season. On this night, he stayed on the floor and showed how he can use his athleticism to control the backboards and anchor the paint.
The added time on the court helped Foster “go out with a bang” in his last home game. Foster, who will go to Morehouse College in Atlanta, was able to show off the sneakers he ordered at the beginning of the year and saved for Senior Night. He said he wore the Nikes off the court and in practice, but he wanted to preserve them for the special night.
“They stood out from what I was wearing,” Foster said. “I like them, but I probably will finish out with the team shoes.”
McBrayer likes the confidence his team will have from its two victories against Oxford. He knows the old adage about how difficult it is to beat a team three times in a season. He hopes that confidence doesn’t turn into overconfidence. Facing a season-ending loss in the district tournament, McBrayer will try to build momentum in the final week of the regular season. Looking at the roller coaster ride that has been the New Hope season — with point totals of 28, 42, and 44 in losses and 82 and 83 points in victories — McBrayer knows his team has been up and down. He feels his team has figured out how to play at a faster pace and to utilize its pieces in the best way.
“It has been a process,” McBrayer said. “We’re definitely a different team. We just have to keep working to get better.”
In the girls game, Mercedes Mattix (12 points) and Taylor Baudoin and Kaitlin Bradley (11) also scored in double figures. Those three players joined Sanders, Allison Newton, Silvia Sartori, Moesha Calmes (eight points), and Taylor Blevins joined in the postgame Senior Night celebration.
“I think we are playing really well,” Holman said. “Our defense is really creating a lot of shots for us. We still have a lot of work to do in the halfcourt, but it is getting better. Their focus and mentality in practice at practice is about as strong as I have seen it. Hopefully, we can build on that every day. It is just part of having a senior-laden group. I think they know what is at stake.”
A trip to Jackson is at stake. New Hope is on pace to make another run to The Big House in Jackson. The only blemishes on the Lady Trojans’ ledger are losses to Northwest Rankin (53-51) and Brandon (58-52). Those defeats have served as motivation following a 62-50 overtime loss to Lanier in the Class 5A North State tournament at Canton High last year.
Holman feels the seniors are “really locked in” and know what they have to do to overcome any hurdles in their way to Jackson.
“They really have a vision,” Holman said. “They know are weaknesses and what we have to get better at, and they’re walking into practice every day and looking at me and saying, ‘What you got?’ I really like the way we are practicing.”
Opponents know defense is the Lady Trojans’ calling card. New Hope likes to use its athleticism and depth to press teams fullcourt so it can dictate the pace and create offense from steals and turnovers. Holman feels her team’s ability to fine-tune its execution on that end of the floor will play a big part in punching her team’s ticket all the way to the state’s biggest stage
“I love defense,” Holman said. “I love teaching it and I love coaching it. I think it creates a lot of offensive for us. The stronger it is the more it is going to create for us. Their activity on defense is really good, their rotations are really good, and when our defense is on it is creating transitions for us that make us tough to beat.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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