COMEBACK EFFORT SECURES JV BASKETBALL WHAC RESERVE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. - The Warriors pulled off two thrilling wins at Garth Pleasant Arena to win the second-ever WHAC Reserve Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 18, defeating the Madonna Crusaders 86-80 and the Lawrence Tech Blue Devils 72-70. In the final against Lawrence Tech, Rochester overcame an 18-2 deficit to pull off the win in front of the home crowd.
The first game saw multiple Warriors make important plays to stay ahead, with guard Davone Morris leading the way in scoring. Fellow guard Cyrus Watkins also had an important first half, hitting consecutive threes to answer a run by the Crusaders.
Also contributing big in the scoring column was guard Corey McCray, who utilized crafty finishing around the basket to help Rochester build a first-half lead. McCray utilized long strides on a euro-step layup to slide past two defenders for an open basket.
With under six minutes to go, the Warriors' big man tandem of Vir Chowdhary and Jeff Perkowski made a massive impact for the Warriors. Chowdhary secured a critical stop before finding Perkowski on the other end for a layup. Perkowski hit a transition layup on the next possession through a high degree of contact to get the crowd out of their seats.
Morris continued his excellent game at a critical juncture, hitting a pull-up three over a defender to give the Warriors a five-point lead with two minutes remaining. The Crusaders stormed back, tying the game with a minute and a half to go. Perkowski converted two free throws to give back the lead to the hosts, and after a big stop, Chowdhary caught the ball in the corner and got into the lane for a layup in traffic to help seal the game for the Warriors.
The Warriors had a lot of ground to cover in the second game after going down 18-2, but would get the comeback effort going thanks to a transition three by Ole Angestein. Shortly after, Morris drove the lane and scored an emphatic and-one to swing the momentum even further in Rochester's favor. Rochester saw important defensive minutes from Vance Lin and Ryan Sweetapple, who hustled to prevent the Blue Devils from growing a lead.
The Warriors continued to close the gap by hitting threes from deep. Guard Mark Smith found nylon while being tightly contested, followed by a three in the corner from guard Antonio Tuppins. Tuppins got forward Elijah Parrish involved, who hit a three from the same spot to get the crowd roaring. Morris - you guessed it - hit a wing three to narrow the gap even further.
Down eight at halftime, there was still work to be for the Warriors to have a chance at a win. Chowdhary started the Warriors with a midrange pullup, and Morris kept things going with a logo three. The Blue Devils continued to fight to maintain their lead, but Morris knocked down another three, setting up free throws on the next possession by McCray to give the Warriors their first lead of the game.
The teams began to trade baskets and made this game an all-time classic. Tuppins helped Rochester snatch back a lost lead with a wing three. After a missed three in the corner, Perkowski hustled to tap the ball out to McCray to give Rochester a two-point lead. Off a timeout, the Blue Devils fired back with a three to silence the Garth Pleasant Arena crowd.
Morris wouldn't let his big day end like that, as the guard pulled up for a contested mid-range shot and hit it undeterred. A Warrior foul allowed Lawrence Tech to tie the game, and to the crowd's suspense, the tournament's final game came down to one last possession. With time winding down, Rochester missed a shot, forcing a scramble for the ball, resulting in a foul by the Blue Devils. Perkowski stepped to the line in the double bonus and sank two clutch free throws with 1.1 seconds remaining to secure Rochester's first WHAC Reserve Tournament victory.
Hussein Murray - RU Athletic Communications
Featured Image: Hanna Swanson - RU Athletics