With their top scorer sidelined, Richard Buck, Caleb Gosserand and Torian James took matters into their hands in the second quarter and helped Daegu’s boys basketball team complete a rare regular-season sweep of Seoul American.
The threesome combined for 25 of the Warriors’ 27 second-quarter points, rallying Daegu from a six-point first-quarter deficit for a 62-51 home triumph, staying unbeaten at 10-0 in Korean-American Interscholastic Activities Conference regular-season play.
It was the first time the Warriors have swept the season series from the Falcons on coach Phillip Loyd’s seven-season watch. The Falcons’ only two league losses have come against the Warriors.
“Long time,” Loyd said. “These guys have worked hard.”
The victory came without 18-points-per-game scorer Anfernee Dent, who was held out of the game by his parents, Loyd said. So Daegu turned to Buck, who hit three second-quarter three-pointers; James, who hit another and had five points in the quarter, and Gosserand, who added six.
Despite using their trademark “Black Diamond” 1-3-1 zone trap to force 25 changes of second-half possession, the Falcons were done in by 15-for-60 field goal shooting and 25 turnovers of their own, coach Steve Boyd said.
“Our defense plays well enough. You can’t shoot that and expect to beat anybody,” he said. “We just didn’t score. Really frustrating.”
The Falcons girls, meanwhile, got their second victory over the Warriors this season and stayed unbeaten in league play at 6-0, pulling away from a one-point halftime lead behind Jasmine Thomas to win 60-37.
The two games highlighted a return to the hardwood and wrestling mats for DODDS athletes sequestered for most of the week due to semester exams.
Yokota’s boys nearly rallied from a 23-point third-quarter deficit, coming up short 64-61 at home against American School In Japan. The Mustangs ladies got their 12th win in 12 games this season, 57-50 at home over Nile C. Kinnick.
Matthew C. Perry’s boys, minus guard Sam Cadavos who remained home to take Saturday’s SAT, swept their pool-play games in the Western Japan Athletic Association tournament in Kobe, as did the Samurai girls at Osaka. E.J. King’s boys and girls each went 1-1 and finished second in their pools.
Kinnick’s wrestling team enjoyed a splendid return to the mat, sweeping its two dual meets against Yokota, 43-13, and Zama American, 44-15, in a DODDS Japan tri-dual at Zama. Yokota won the other dual 36-26 over Zama.
Osan American’s boys basketball team lost 60-43 at Yongsan International-Seoul, but also lost guard Derrick Merriwether to a knee injury.
Kinnick’s boys basketball team scored 20 fourth-quarter points to outgun St. Mary’s International 47-33; the lead was three points after three periods.
Andrae Adams netted 24 points and Zama’s boys basketball team won its eight straight game 72-57 over Robert D. Edgren. Zama’s girls improved to 8-4 this season, but did it the hard way in overtime 37-35 over the Eagles.
