Roberts’ 41 Points Leads Colonels over Wentworth
The Missouri Military Academy Colonels’ basketball team was back in action Wednesday evening after a long holiday break, but showed little rust with a dominating 73-45 victory against their fiercest rival, the Wentworth Military Academy Dragons.
The Colonels set a torrid pace in the first quarter, scoring 10 straight points to start the game. Great shooting by sophomore guard Kaeshon Adams '14 and smart post play by senior center and team captain Jared Roberts'12 contributed to the fast start.
Roberts had an impressive night, overpowering the Dragon defense for a double-double. He netted 41 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and played the entirety of the contest.
Senior Jared Roberts goes up for an easy score against Wentworth Wednesday night. Roberts gave an impressive performance, scoring 41 points and pulling in 14 rebounds.
MMA experienced an offensive drought in the second quarter, which allowed the Dragons to rally to take a 23-20 lead at the 5 minute mark. But the Colonels picked up their defensive intensity toward the end of the half, sparking a 16-0 run that gave the team a 36-23 lead at halftime.
To read the full game report, click on "Continue Reading" at the bottom right corner of this story.
The Colonels continued to stymie Wentworth defensively in the second half, as they held their opponent to just 8 third quarter points and 14 in the fourth. Roberts sealed the victory with a sensational dunk, his second of the game, at the end of regulation.
VIDEO: Watch the thrilling end to Jared Roberts' 41-point night
This was the Colonels’ first win in 5 tries against the Dragons.
“We came out and executed our game plan tonight,” said head coach LTÂ John Noel. “We played smart basketball, limited turnovers and played great defense.”
Noel also commented on the play of his star center.
“Jared keeps proving that he is one of the elite players in the state of Missouri,” he said. “Yes, he scored a lot of points tonight, but what you don’t see in the stat column are the hustle plays and the way he involves his teammates in the game.”
Noel also said Adams has improved his play as the team’s point guard, and provides another solid scoring option.
Adams finished with 13 points, and seniors Yang Li '12 and Tommy Abraham '12 contributed to the win with 8 points each. The Colonels next game is a home game Tuesday against Douglass High School. MMA’s JV game takes place at 5:00, followed immediately by varsity.
PHOTOS: Visit MMA's Flickr page to see the highlights of the victory over Wentworth