Warriors get by road-weary HardHats, 126-115
June 6, 2006 - World Basketball Association (WBA)
Cartersville Warriors News Release
Gerald Williams, CEO and owner of the Cartersville Warriors, is smiling a lot these days. He's smiling because he believes he has a championship team. And if the mark of a championship team is its ability to overcome adversity, then the Warriors may be on the road to a World Basketball Association title.
Take Saturday night for example. The Warriors' home game at Cass High School against the Mississippi HardHats was delayed by more than two hours because the visitors were stuck in traffic. The Hard Hats were traveling from Little Rock, Ark., a 557-mile trek that on a good day is at best eight and a half hours long. Then there was the game itself, which the third-ranked Warriors (10-3) won, 126-115, behind the 38-point, eight-rebound performance of guard Mike Dean. Mississippi (10-3) entered play as the top ranked team in the WBA. The win moved Cartersville to the number two spot in the WBA, behind Rome (13-3).
"Do we have a team that can win it all?," Williams asked rhetorically. "I think we're getting there. We haven't got all of our pieces together yet. Once we get all of our pieces together, and I see where everything fits, then I might say we have that type of team. "I will say that the potential for us (to win it all) is there. We're getting better as a team. We're playing well on both ends of the floor. It's just a matter of time before it really begins to come together for us." Williams says one of those pieces, 6-11, 225-pound center Antoine Broxsie, should return in a few weeks. Broxsie, who was chosen to play with a team touring China, played collegiately at Oklahoma State University and was averaging 14.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.8 blocks with the Warriors before leaving on Saturday morning to go on his trip. "When I get my big boy back in here, you will see an entirely different team," Williams said. "He's going to do a lot to help us win. He can play."
Hopefully, Broxsie's return will not distract what the Warriors are doing without him. Cartersville remains unbeaten at home with a 6-0 mark. The win against the road-weary HardHats could've easily been a loss had it not been for Dean, former Kennesaw State star Ray Luque (23 points, seven rebounds), Bobby Brown (21 points, seven rebounds, seven steals) and Delvin Thomas (21 points, ten rebounds).
"We've got a talented team that when it has to, can put it together," aid Cartersville head coach David Archer, Jr. "We do what we have to do win games. If we have to score, we'll score. If we have to step up the defense, we'll step up defensively." Archer's only problem is trying to keep the Warriors' intensity up for four quarters.
After taking a 57-49 lead into the half, the Warriors were holding on to a comfortable 82-72 cushion with 4:05 left in the third quarter, but went dry. Mississippi climbed back on a 15-2 run to take an 87-84 lead at the end of three periods. Cartersville's drought continued into the fourth, while Mississippi built a nine-point spread over the first four minutes of the final stanza. Cartersville's Anthony Slater, had left the game earlier in the 3rd quarter after picking up his fourth foul, re-entered the game with his team down 95-86 at the eight minute mark. The 5'10" sparkplug got things cranked up by immediately finding Dean open for consecutive three point bombs to trim the HardHat lead to three and kick start a 13-0 run to put the Warriors back in the lead for good. Full court pressure forced Mississippi into turnovers which allowed Cartersville to re-build a 110-98 cushion with 3-minutes left.
But, Mississippi was not done, as Detrick White and David Haywood each hit threes to cut the score to 116-111. Luque drew a foul, sinking both for Cartersville. But, after a freethrow, then a Mississippi offensive rebound the HardHats got another three from White to cut it to 118-115 with 45 seconds showing on the clock. On the ensuing inbounds, Dean got trapped and seemingly bumbed by a HardHat defender, drawing another foul. The Mississippi bench erupted in anger, which warranted a technical being called by the referee. Dean made the technical foul, then made one of the two freethrows, to put the Warriors up 120-115. Back on the other end, Mississippi's White missed a long three and after an outlet, Brown was fouled trying to go to the basket. He calmly sank both freethrows to essentially ice the game. The HardHats missed another three, and Thomas got a dunk on the other end for Cartersville. Following another HardHat miss, Slater put an exclamation on the win, as he tossed an ally oop that Brown rose to slam home as time ran out.
White led Mississippi with 32 points and eight rebounds, as Haywood downed 25, Torris Bright 19 and Horatio Webster had 13. Carl Henderson notched a double-double with 13 points and 11 boards for the HardHats, who dropped their third straight game.
To go along with the scoring efforts of Dean, Luque, Thomas and Brown, Latece Williams scored six points, Ron Dokes five, Darius Wade three, Anthony Witherspoon three. Slater finished with four points, 10 assists and four steals on the night. The Warriors shot 35-42 from the freethrow line for an improved 83.3% for the game. Luque was 13 of 13 at the stripe, while Brown's hard work paid dividends as he enjoyed a seven for seven performance at the line on the night.
One of the players that Archer is counting on heavily is Thomas. A 6-8 forward who can slash to the basket with ease or pull down a key rbound, the former Bethune-Cookman star routinely provides the Warriors with highlight-reel performances. "I just try to blend my talents with the team," Thomas said. "I want to win and I'll do anything to help us win. "There are times out there when we become a little lax. When that happens, I try to step my game up a bit. I know that if Ican do something to spark us, we'll be fine."
The Warriors will be back at home on Friday night with a 7:30pm tip off against the Marietta Storm at JH Morgan Gym. The Anderson Heat will come back to town on Saturday night in a 7pm tilt at Cass High School.
Warrior Notes: Mike Dean, who scored 38 points for the second consecutive night, is now averaging 28 per game and is challenging for the WBA scoring title. Anthony Slater in only 23 minutes per game, is averaging 9.4 assists per game. Along with Broxsie, who has temporarily left the squad. Leroy Davis has been selected to participate in a tour overseas. Davis left on Sunday to join the Houston Blaze on a tour to Chile to compete against professional teams. Former WBA coach Ricky Benitez will be serving as the Head Coach for the Blaze on the trip.
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World Basketball Association Stories from June 6, 2006
- Warriors get by road-weary HardHats, 126-115 - Cartersville Warriors
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