Chester holds off tough road test from West Chester Rustin
WESTTOWN >> High school basketball programs with a winning pedigree, like Chester, understand that they are going to have to absorb the best shot from opponents looking to make a statement against a high-profile opponent. And on Tuesday, at West Chester Rustin, that’s exactly what happened to the visiting Clippers.
Early in the fourth quarter, Chester found itself down by eight points. But with an assist from its high-intensity, full-court pressure, the Clippers reeled off 13 straight points and went on to survive, 72-68, in an intriguing boys’ non-conference clash against the upset-minded Golden Knights.
“We are everybody’s championship,” said Chester forward Jamar Sudan, who led all scorers with 22 points.
“That’s just the way it is — we’re from Chester,” added head coach Larry Yarbray. “Some people think we are down, but we are still have that same tradition, and the same type of winning team.”
The Clippers, who improved to 6-2 overall, wound up outscoring Rustin 27-19 in the final eight minutes, and senior point guard Ahrod Carter led the way, pouring in 12 of his 19 points in the final period. Center Jordan Camper chipped in with 10 points in five dunks.
“(Carter) was closing out games like that two years ago when he was a sophomore, but last year he kind of fell off and wasn’t as focused enough,” Yarbray said. “Right now, he’s still up-and-down, so if we can get him a little more consistent, we will have a nice inside-outside attack.”
During the game-altering 13-0 run, Carter scored seven points, helping to turn an eight-point deficit into a 62-55 lead with three minutes to go. The Knights reverted back to some costly turnovers against the defensive pressure, and it didn’t help that they went 0-for-4 from the free throw line during the critical stretch.
“That’s part of our style — that’s how we play,” Yarbray pointed out. “We imposed out will on defense, our guys didn’t give up and they stuck to the script — where in some games, we might try to go one-on-one.”
Rustin got clutch 3-pointers from Tajir Asparagus and Chris McMahon in the final minute of play to keep it close, but Chester wrapped it up with a 3-point play by Sudan and 3-of-4 free throws from Carter.
“There are no excuses,” said Rustin head coach Keith Cochran. “Against Chester, you have to beat them. This is a tough one to swallow, but we are growing as a team.”
The Knights fall to 4-5 overall, and have now dropped three straight. Asparagus scored 15 of his team-high 20 in the second half, and McMahon chipped in with 19 points including six made 3-pointers. Sophomore Jake Nelson added 12 points.
“I told my kids beforehand and at halftime, Rustin is a very well coached team with some good athletes and shooters,” Yarbray said.
“They were at home and we knew they wouldn’t let down,” Sudan added. “Just about every team we play, they will make shots they don’t normally make. (Asparagus) was out there making a lot of shots that he wasn’t making when we saw him on film.
“But we are used to games like this. We’ve been through some battles before.”
In all, Chester’s forced Rustin into 21 turnovers. And even though the Knights knocked down 10 from beyond the arc, they were just 6-for-12 from the line.
“We have been consistently pretty good from the line,” Cochran said. “It was just one of those things where you learn, you live and hopefully we’ll be better from it.”
Quick and disruptive defensively, the Clippers took command thanks to a 16-4 rally midway through the first half, with Sudan providing the offensive punch. The 6-foot-6 senior southpaw ended the first period with a 3-point play, then started the second with a 3-pointer, and by the time he registered a steal and breakaway dunk a few minutes later, Chester had a double-digit lead.
“But to me, 10 points wasn’t a big enough lead, in their gym where they don’t have much to lose,” Yarbray said.
Rustin got back into contention with a near-perfect third quarter, outscoring the Clippers 24-10. McMahon had three early 3-pointers, and Asparagus put the Knights on top early in the fourth with an offensive rebound and put-back, and a fast-break bucket off a feed from teammate Rahdell Decoursey.
“I’ve been known to give some fiery halftime speeches, not to be repeated,” Cochran quipped. “It was one of those. I just reminded them that we’ve been practicing and they know what to do.”
But down the stretch, with the pressure mounting and the legs getting tired, Rustin was unable to sustain that level of play, or the lead.
“Our coaches are always preaching defense, defense,” Sudan explained. “(Rustin) came out attacking in the third quarter, but they told us not to let down. It’s defense first – that’s all we think of.”
Chester 72, West Chester Rustin 68
CHESTER: Smith 3 2-4 9; Carter 6 5-6 19; Evans 1 0-1 2; Randolph 2 2-4 6; Lennon 1 1-2 4; Sudan 8 5-5 22; Camper 5 0-0 10. Totals 26 15-22 72.
W.C. RUSTIN: Decoursey 1 0-0 2; Russell 1 0-0 3; McMahon 6 1-2 19; Asparagus 8 3-4 20; Barrouk 1 0-0 3; Frazier 2 2-4 7; Durant 1 0-2 2; Nelson 6 0-0 12. Totals 26 6-12 68.
Chester 17 18 10 27 – 72
W.C. Rustin 14 11 24 19 – 68
3-point goals: Smith, Carter 2, Lennon, Sudan, Russell, McMahon 6, Barrouk, Frazier, Asparagus.
