Cavaliers are Blazer boys' seventh straight victim

JAN 14, 2002, NELSON H. KOBREN MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM –

While it may not have been pretty, the division-leading Blair boys' basketball team walked off its home court with its seventh straight victory, as the team overwhelmed the raw Kennedy High School, 58-42, to remain undefeated in division play.

The Blazers (10-2, 7-0) had defeated their previous two opponents, Whitman and Gaithersburg high schools, by a combined margin of 52 points. The opening half of the first quarter falsely led everyone to believe that they were in store for yet another blowout. Blair used precise interior passing to take a 12-4 lead, only to go scoreless for the last several minutes of the quarter.

The Blazers then watched as their lead dwindled to 25-21 near halftime. Coach Jeff Newby credited both Kennedy's offense and Blair's mental state for the turnaround. "[Kennedy] set a lot of good screens. They're probably one of the quicker teams we've faced," said Newby. "I think we got ahead and started thinking, ‘We've won nine games and we've won six in a row.' So we kind of thought it would be easy. And then it turned out Kennedy pushed a little bit and we weren't quite ready for it."

Blair point guard Cyril Dkoukeng, a senior, came through with a clutch, rare four-point play in response to Kennedy's second quarter run. Djoukeng (12 points), who has been experiencing a newfound confidence in his outside shooting, was hacked to the ground as he attempted a three-point field goal from the left corner with 1:27 remaining in the second quarter. The shot somehow managed to find its way into the basket and, after the ensuing free throw, Blair took a more comfortable 30-22 lead into halftime.

In the second half, whenever the Blazers needed points on the board, senior guard Ellis Yeadon came through. Yeadon, who finished with a team-high 15 points, was so effective that he prompted the frustrated Cavalier coach, Diallo Nelson, to proclaim on the bench, "They're scared of [Yeadon] like he was the flu."

Nelson's Cavaliers (3-7, 1-5) always appeared on the verge of making a run at the Blazers, but Blair repeatedly countered with offense of its own. Blair also managed to prevent the upset by continuing to successfully box out and grab rebounds, limiting the Cavaliers' number of second-chance opportunities on offense. As a team, Blair outrebounded Kennedy by a whopping 40-16, with 13 of Blair's boards coming from forward Chijioke Anyanwu, a senior.

Blazer center Bert Williams, a junior, received his second start of the season and continued to develop confidence on the court. Williams was particularly impressive in the first quarter, where he scored six of his eight points using a variety of post moves. "It feels like a new experience every game," he said. "The games that I've seen [from the bench], I just picked up from whatever my teammates did wrong and tried to turn it around and do something right."

Making the division win more notable is the fact that the Blazers did not have a chance to practice over the weekend because Blair was closed. The busy week is only getting started for the Blazers, who travel to Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School on Wednesday night, before the big home game against Springbrook High School on Friday, Jan 18.