Cartersville gets back on winning track against SpeedBoys
Published on June 14, 2009 under World Basketball Association (WBA)
Cartersville Warriors News Release
The Cartersville Warriors (5-3, 3-3 World Basketball Association) snapped a three-game losing streak Sunday afternoon by knocking off the Southeast Exposure Basketball League member Atlanta SpeedBoys, 111-98, in a non-conference game at J.H. Morgan Gymnasium.
"It's good to win a game again," said Cartersville head coach Cory Baldwin. "I almost forgot what it's like to have a happy locker room after the game."
The SpeedBoys, who are the defending Metro-A League champions of the SEBL, stayed with Cartersville for most of the first half, tying the game at 35 with 9:30 to go before halftime and still trailing just 48-45 four minutes before the break. However, the Warriors closed the period with a 10-3 run to extend their halftime advantage to 58-48.
"The SpeedBoys pressed a lot in the first half and that could've been the reason we lost the game, but I feel like it turned out to be the reason we won," said Baldwin. "We don't normally see teams in the WBA that press a lot, but we handled it well and only had one or two turnovers out of it."
Cartersville came out hot in the second half and pushed its lead to as many as 23 points, coming at 80-57 with 15:10 to go in the game, before the SpeedBoys started chipping away at the Warriors' sizable advantage.
Atlanta's Xavier Trice made a pair of free throws to get the SpeedBoys to within 94-81 with 7:59 remaining, but Cartersville's Jermaine Spivey made a 3-pointer and Chucky Frierson's layup put the Warriors back up 99-81. The SpeedBoys as close as eight points, at 103-95 on a 3-pointer by Trice with 2:38 left, but the Warriors made their free throws down the stretch to salt away the win.
"The real reason why we play these kinds of games is to work on the things we don't have a chance to work on during the week," said Baldwin. "Today we corrected the things we've been doing wrong in the last three games and we were able to hold on for the win."
Spivey paced Cartersville with 22 points, six rebounds and two steals. Drew Jones had 20, six assists and four rebounds, Justin Billingslea and Chris Morgan pitched in 15 apiece and Shannon Chambers finished with 11 for the Warriors.
Frank Williams was the high scorer for the SpeedBoys with 26 points. Brian Kelly had 19, Trice netted 16 and Mike Taylor chipped in 10 for the Atlanta team.
Cartersville plays again Friday, traveling to Buford to take on the WBA-leading Buford Majic in a 7 p.m. game. The Warriors return home Saturday night for a 7 p.m. game against SEBL member BC Howren and they close out the weekend hosting the Rome Rage in another WBA contest Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m.
World Basketball Association Stories from June 14, 2009
- Inclement weather postpones Memphis game on Saturday night - Memphis Tornadoes
- Cartersville gets back on winning track against SpeedBoys - Cartersville Warriors
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