Burlington School Remains Unbeaten Topping Greenfield

In the past 10-12 years the gymnasium at Greenfield School has been the home of some classic basketball contests on Saturday afternoons in January. Among those that come to mind are matchups with Word of God with Randy Pulley, C.J. Leslie & Coach Kevin Washington, United Faith with Ian Miller, Blake Smith and Coach Shaun Wiseman and Community Christian with Jimmy Graham and the unforgettable coach Carlos Peralta.

Saturday’s matchup with top ranked and undefeated Burlington School had the makings of another of these classics but it was not meant to be as the Spartans used a strong second quarter to roll to an 81 -64 win over the Knights. The contest was even for three periods but TBS 24-8 second period advantage was the difference. The efforts of Greenfield’s Colby White, a UNC Chapel Hill commit, who tallied 42 points helped keep the outcome respectable.

Greenfield came into the game on the heels of a last second loss Friday night to conference foe Wayne Country Day as well as a bit shorthanded. They were without starters Cedric Kirby (back spasms) and Octavious Lacey (meniscus). Also Elijah McFadden was on the mend from a previous injury and not 100 percent and leading rebounder and inside presence Dorieon Suggs was saddled with foul trouble and sat a huge portion of the tilt. But take nothing away from the Spartans as they played as a well oiled unit, controlled the boards and the tempo of the game.

The first period saw the lead seesaw back and forth with neither squad mounting more than a four point advantage. The Spartans John Meeks, a 6’6 Bucknell signee worked the inside for six points. However Greenfield’s Elijah McCadden had a pair of baskets along with a three as the score was tied at 14 all with 2:36 left on Colby White’s threeball. TBS Trey Cousin and GFS Doreion Suggs exchanged hoops to knot the score at 16 all but it would be last tie of the contest as Jo Jeffers nailed a trifecta to give the Spartans for good.

It was in the second period that Spartan reserve Makiah Fox made his presence felt. Fox, a 6’5 junior, entered the contest in the closing second of the first quarter , and immediately made an impact scoring the first seven points of the second stanza on a pair of moves inside and a three pointer as TBS opened up a 26-19 lead. After a Basket and a steal and monster jam narrowed the lead to 26-24 Burlington school went on a 15-0 run to 39-24 lead. Jordan Jeffries opened the run on a drive to the basket and John Meeks was fouled attempting a trey with Meeks converted all three charity tosses. Fox and Meeks then hit inside shots and Fox converted an old fashioned three point play and when the dust had settled Burlington School headed to the halftime locker room with a 43 26 halftime advantage.

In the second half Colby White took over the contest in the second half. White was virtually unstoppable scoring 28 points in the final 16 minutes. His jumper with 2: 49 in the third period cutthe Spartan lead to 52-42 but that would be as close as the homestanding Knights would get.

A Meeks three pointer gave TBS a 73-52 lead with 4:19 left in the game and it was all academic after that.

Burlington School placed four players in double figures with John Meeks and Makiah Fox both netting 22. Jordan Nelson added 12 and Trey Cousin came off the bench to chip in 11. Greenfield’sColby White scored in variey of ways from all over the court in pumping in 42 points. Elijah McCadden added 13 for Greenfield.

With the win The Burlington School extends their record to 21-0 on the season and 55-1 over the past two campaigns. They are next in action Tuesday hosting American Hebrew. Greenfield drops to 15-9 on the year and travel to Greenville Tuesday to face John Paul II.

THE BURLINGTON SCHOOL 81

GREENFIELD SCHOOL 64

TBS : 19-24-17-21—81

GFS ; 18-8-23-15—64

TBS : Nelson 3 (1) 3-4 12, T.Jeffers 2 0-0 4, Meeks 7 (1) 5-5 22, J.Jeffers 0 (2) 0-0 6, Jeffries 1 0-0 2, Cousin 2 (2) 1-2 11, Fox 9 (1) 1-2 22, Woods 1 0-0 2, Walden 0 0-0 0.

GFS :Pittman 0 0-0 0, McCadden 4 (1) 2-5 13, Suggs 2 2-4 6, White 11 (2) 14-22 42, Bailey 0 0-0 0, Baker 0 (1) 0-0 3, Stone 0 0-0 0.

REBOUNDS

TBS : 33..Fox 12

Gfs : 23..McCadden 8

TURNOVERS

TBS : 13

GFS : 10