Lima Senior’s Brandon Moore steals the ball away from Trotwood-Madison’s Marlon Howard Jr. during Tuesday night’s game at Lima Senior. See more high school basketball photos at LimaScores.com.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
Once Lima Senior got the lead – and that was early in the game – it never gave it back in a 66-51 boys basketball win over Trotwood-Madison on Tuesday night at Senior High.
Je’Kel Cotton scored 16 points and Jagger Hutchins had 12 points to lead the Spartans (14-6). Tim Carpenter’s 16 points led Trotwood-Madison (10-10).
The Spartans did much of their damage in the last four minutes of the first quarter and the final five minutes of the second quarter to take a 34-18 halftime lead.
Trailing 10-8, Lima Senior went on a 9-0 run in the final four minutes of the first quarter to take a 17-10 lead after one quarter.
Then the Spartans turned a five-point lead into a 34-18 lead at halftime by outscoring the Rams 12-1 in the last five minutes of the first half.
Cotton had 10 of his points by halftime. Lima Senior shot 50 percent on field goals (11 of 22) in the first half. Trotwood-Madison connected on 28 percent of its shots (8 of 28).
Lima Senior increased its lead to its highest point at 49-27, on a 3-pointer by Amari Addy with 1:40 left in the third quarter.
Trotwood-Madison ran off 10 unanswered points over the next two minutes but that was as close as it got.
Five seniors started the game in their final home game – Anthony Mosley, Zion Jackson, Kelly Shurelds, Amarion Glenn and Brandon Moore.
Nine players scored for the Spartans, including 6-4 junior Jaeveon Walton, who caught coach Quincey Simpson’s eye with his play in the game.
“I liked that guys played good, played hard,” Simpson said.
“I think if I had one thing I had to point out that I was really impressed with it would be Jaeveon Walton. He’s been a guy we’ve wanted to be a part of this as far as being in our rotation. He’s capable of doing a lot of things – he can play inside, he can shoot the three, he can take it off the dribble. So I was happy to see him play with a high motor. He’s a guy we believe can be a difference maker in the playoffs.”
After a busy January and early February schedule, Simpson said it will be good to get back to a routine.
“We haven’t had a real practice consistently in January. We had so many games. We play a game, we get a day off, we have a day to prepare for our next opponent. It will be good after Friday (at Fremont Ross) to have a week off to prepare for our next opponent (Findlay), then another week off before the tournament,” he said.
This was only the third time Lima Senior and Trotwood-Madison have played in boys basketball. The Spartans have won all three games. The Rams play an independent schedule after losing their league affiliation a few years ago.
Reach Jim Naveau at 567-242-0414.
