ROUNDUP : DeCarriere Scores 31 as Faith Baptist Rolls Over Campbell Hall
Deep in the Campbell Hall High gymnasium, basketball Coach Jon Palarz set his jaw as he walked down a hallway and entered the team weight room Tuesday night. He pointed to the list of objectives set forth before the team’s Delphic League game against Faith Baptist.
The simplest of questions--a logical one, really, considering the flow of the game--prompted Palarz to enter the room. Upon arrival, he tapped a finger on a wall, where in large, blue letters, goal No. 1 had been scribbled a few hours earlier: Get back/Recovery.
Campbell Hall, however, was definitely a team incapable of reading the writing on the wall.
Faith Baptist blew out the Vikings with a 30-point fourth quarter and rolled to an 89-70 win in a key showdown at Campbell Hall.
Campbell Hall (8-6, 2-2) was unable to stop the fast break of Faith Baptist (11-5, 2-1 in league play) and particularly the cherry-picking of guard James DeCarriere, who finished with a career-high 31 points. Palarz pointed it out in the pregame chalk talk, but it soaked in about as effectively as logarithms.
“You tell ‘em beforehand,” Palarz said, “but in a game situation, it’s a lot different.”
Campbell Hall trailed, 59-55, entering the fourth quarter but Faith Baptist quickly put the game away. DeCarriere scored on a fast break and, after Austin McKellar (23 points) answered with a three-point basket, Faith Baptist’s Darren Wyre found the groove.
Wyre tossed in consecutive three-point baskets to extend the lead to 67-58 with 6 minutes 12 seconds left. With 5:55 remaining, McKellar drilled another three-point shot, cutting the Contenders’ lead to 68-61, but Campbell Hall missed six of its next seven field-goal attempts.
Campbell Hall sophomore center Alex Lopez made his first nine shots in the first half, then missed his next eight before finishing with a season-high 21 points.
Faith Baptist flexed its muscles inside behind center Peter Rasmussen (21 points, 17 rebounds) and forward Etienne Moore (15 points, 14 rebounds). Faith Baptist finished with a 40-20 rebounding advantage.