Wildcats' Win Keeps Conference Record Clean

The Boys basketball team kept its Midwest Classic Conference North record pure by defeating The Hope School 59-46 in a game at USM Saturday night.

USM took an early lead on a driving lay up and a subsequent free throw by Josh Baker and never trailed in the first quarter. The score remained close however and it was 16-12 USM the end of the first eight minutes. In the quarter Baker scored seven points, Julien Addison and Adam Salyameh each added a three point shot, and Djdade Denson also scored three points for USM. Devonaire Campbell scored five points for the Hawks, including a three point shot. Chaunsey Smith, Anthony Poe and Devon Skinner each scored 2 points and Roland Moore-Smith sank a free throw.

Skinner sank an inside jumper and Poe drained a three and The Hope School took a 17-16 lead to start the following quarter. Baker and Campbell exchanged lay-ups to put the score at 19-18.  Julien Addison swished a three to give USM the lead at 21-19 and Denson put in a lay up to give USM a 23-19 edge. Addison soon added another three pointer and USM went ahead 26-23. A successful jump shot by Billy Lawton and solid defense and strong defensive rebounding kept USM on top. By the end of the half, the Wildcats led 28-23.

USM broke it open by outscoring the Hawks 19-5 in the third quarter. Two lay-ups by Baker and one by Denson off a steal plus another three pointer by Addison allowed USM to bolt away and take a 37-24 lead in the first two minutes of the third quarter. The Wildcats kept at it for the remainder of the quarter, and by its end they led, 47-28. Baker scored nine points, including a three pointer, Addison drained two threes in the period, Denson scored four points and Salaymeh scored a three pointer as well. Campbell and Smith each scored two points, and Skinner scored one point for the Hawks in the quarter.

The Hawks did not give up, and they rallied to outscore USM in the final quarter 18-12, but it was too late for them to make up the deficit incurred in the third.  Campbell led the Hawks in the quarter with six points, Poe had five points, Skinner had four points, and Moore-Smith and Smith each had one point. Baker had six points in the quarter for USM, four on free throws. Denson had four points and Lawton had two points.

In the game Baker led the scoring with 24 points. Denson added 13 points to USM total. Addison had 12 points, all on three-point shots. Salaymeh had six points, all on three-point shots also. Lawton scored four points in the game. Campbell led the Hawks with 15 points. Poe had 12 points, Skinner scored 10 points, Moore-Smith scored six points, and Smith scored three points.

The Hope School is now 1-8 and 0-5 in the conference. USM improved its overall record to 7-3 and it is at 4-0 in the conference. Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. the Wildcats play another conference game when they travel to Delafield to take on St. John’s Military Academy.