Released On:
Monday, December 01, 2008
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Wiley College Public Relations
903-927-3201
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KERSEE, TOLBERT HELP WILEY BACK INTO WIN COLUMN
Special by Jon Dustin Brooks, News Messenger
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LaMario Kersee had game highs with 26 points, six assists and five steals to lead Wiley to an 80-75 triumph over Crichton (Tenn.) in non-conference action Tuesday, Nov. 25 at Alumni Gymnasium.
Kersee, who scored the Wildcats' final six points, dropped in four consecutive free throws in the final 12 seconds to ice the win for Wiley (3-6), its first since a Nov. 4 decision over Philander Smith (Ark.).
Trailing 78-75 with 10 seconds remaining, Crichton's Andre Allen airballed a 3-pointer from the right side that would've tied the game with three seconds left.
Wiley then found Kersee on the ensuing inbounds pass and the guard was fouled with one second remaining. He calmly sank both freebies to help the Wildcats snap their five-game skid.
"We've played so many close games so far, we needed this one to help break the ice," said Wiley head coach Andre Payne. "We really focused this week on playing solid basketball at the end of games. We put in a couple plays that we felt were going to be our go-to plays."
Wiley led for the duration of the game's final 10 minutes but the Comets (4-2) cut their deficit to one possession on seven occasions.
Crichton pulled to within one point twice in the final 34 seconds, both times following a pair of points from Marqueys Brown.
Kersee had an answer at the other end both times, as well.
Brown drained a pair of free throws with 34 seconds left that cut the lead to 74-73 but Kersee responded by burying a jump shot from the right baseline on the following possession, pushing the lead back to three with 22 seconds left.
Then, rather than holding for the final shot and hoping to tie the game with a 3-pointer, Crichton looked inside to Brown, who dropped in a lay-up with 10 seconds left that trimmed the margin back to one point.
The gamble didn't pay off, though, after Kersee was fouled and converted both free throws.
After a first half that saw neither team lead by more than five points, the Comets assumed a seven-point lead, at 50-43, when Jerranda Wheeler capped a five-point run with a finger roll at the 12:46 mark of the second half.
Then the Wildcats found their stroke.
Wiley followed with four straight 3-pointers, three of which were from Chris Tolbert, in the span of two-and-a-half minutes.
Quick ball movement and Tolbert's hot hand provided the 'Cats with a lead they would not relinquish following the sophomore's second trey, which moved the tally to 52-50 with 10:49 left.
The 3-point barrage began a sequence during which Tolbert scored 14 straight points for Wiley. The guard finished with 18 points, including a 4 of 7 showing from 3-point range.
Darnell Adams was the only other Wildcat in double figures with 13 points, including a nine-point stretch to open the game during which he was the only Wiley player to score.
"We really needed those three-pointers to open up the court for us," Payne said. "Once (Tolbert) started making them, that opened up the lane for Kersee to penetrate."
Jared Strode paced Crichton with 19 points.
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BOX SCORE
TMS 1 2 TOT
CC 31 44 75
WC 36 44 80
CRICHTON, TENN. (4-2): Jared Strode 19, Jerranda Wheeler 17, Marqueys Brown 13, Emanuel Walker 11, Andre Allen 9, Johnny McLawhorn 6; REB: M. Brown 9; AST: A. Allen 3; STL: J. Wheeler 2; BLK: Two with 1.
TEAM TOTALS — FG: 29-53 (55%); 3P: 6-18 (33%); FT: 11-20 (55%); TO: 23; REB: 26.
WILEY (3-6): LaMario Kersee 26, Chris Tolbert 18, Darnell Adams 13, Donoval Campbell 7, Jordan Alexander 6, Curtis Bason 6, Nathaniel Evans 3, Terrell Dunham 1; REB: L. Kersee 6; AST: L. Kersee 6; STL: L. Kersee 5, BLK: None.
TEAM TOTALS — FG: 27-60 (45%); 3P: 6-16 (38%); FT: 17-24 (71%); TO: 22; REB: 26.
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