From the Columbus Dispatch
In Africentric’s sauna-like cracker box of a gymnasium, crowd noise projects to heavy-metal-concert levels, and 6-foot-9 basketball players look like giants.
For the better part of a City League South Division showdown last night, the host Nubians used their quickness to trap the wings, steal the ball and sprint down the short court for easy baskets.
But down the stretch, Walnut Ridge’s space-eating big men proved too much to handle on both ends of the floor, and the Scots surged late for a 51-42 victory. They earn a rematch against Northland in the City championship game on Feb. 18 at East.
“The strength we had over them was our bigs, and that turned out to be the difference with the game on the line,” Walnut Ridge coach Jason Bates said after improving his record to 7-1 against his brother, Michael, the Africentric coach.
“During our surge in the fourth quarter, our guards did a great job beating their initial pressure and getting it over the top, and we were making the extra pass to get it to those guys for easy baskets. The big guys also played a big, big role in our defense stepping up at the end, too. Nobody wants to shoot over those long arms.”
Africentric (15-3, 11-2) managed only one field goal and four points in the final six minutes.
The Nubians led 39-38 when Alassane Kah and Malik Dime, 6-9 bookends from Senegal, delivered back-to-back dunks to spur an 8-0 run for the Scots (17-0, 13-0). Both dunks, and the next basket, by 6-7 Kai Turner on an assist by Dime, resulted from nifty interior passes.
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