Yoemen use 25-point 4th to get by Hearne

For a majority of Tuesday’s 20-3A opener, things did not look good for the home team. Cameron had only scored four points in the first quarter and trailed by 5 at the half. The Yoemen never wavered, cutting the Hearne lead to just 1 after three before exploding for 25 points in the fourth to seal the victory, 61-57.

Youth came through in a big way for Coach Burns’ squad on this night. While veterans LaRondre Booze and Keanu McCarter were held to quite nights with just 1 bucket a piece, sophomores Kobe Young and Calvin Stewart were there to pick up the slack, combining for 30 of Cameron’s 61 points on the evening.

“We knew we were going to be young and we were going to have to depend on some youth,” said Yoe coach Nicholas Burns. “We have quite a few guys that did not even play varsity ball last year and now they have been thrust into the spotlight. Calvin, Kobe and Nico all stepped up.”

Stewart, who scored 12 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, said it was the defense that jump started the late surge.

“I feel like it started on the defensive end,” said the sophomore. “That is what is going to help us win games. When we play defense I don’t think we can be stopped.” Cameron forced 17 turnovers on the night, with a majority of them coming down the stretch.

Burns also noted that a change in scheme helped get his teams some easier looks.

“In the first quarter we set back in a 1-3-1 (zone defense), and I think that took away our ability to get in transition,” said Burns. “We are starting to find out we have to score transition buckets. As much as we like to sit back in a zone and play it safe, I don’t think it’s feasible.”

Comebacks are nothing knew to this team, but it’s something they look to avoid moving forward. 

“That is the fourth straight game where we have had to come from behind to win,” Burns said. “We have to play a full buzzer to buzzer game and I don’t think we have done that yet. We played a great first half with Giddings, but laid an egg in the second half. When we do, we can be pretty good.”

Close games with Hearne should also come to no surprise. Last season, Cameron beat Hearne twice, but only by an average of 4 points in both wins. That was coincidentally the same difference in this ball game.

“Hearne plays us tough every single time, and it’s been like that the last three or four years,” said Burns. “I really think they are a dark horse in the district and I think they can be pretty good this year. To get that first district win before Christmas with a team like Hearne - we’ll take it.”

Stat Leaders

Points: Kobe Young (15), Calvin Stewart (15), Nico Vargas (10), Levi May (7), Dondrick Moore (6)

Rebounds: Vargas (7), May (6), Jay Shields (6), Keanu McCarter (4), Royce Reynolds (2), LaRondre Booze (2), Young (2)

District Results/Standings

12/19 Games: Cameron Yoe 61, Hearne 57; Franklin 55, Lexington 30; Academy 66 Rogers 33; Jarrell/Rockdale - rescheduled.

20-3A Standings: 1. Cameron Yoe (1-0), 1. Franklin (1-0), 1. Academy (1-0), 4. Jarrell (0-0), 4. Rockdale (0-0), 6. Hearne (0-1), 6. Lexington (0-1), 6. Rogers (0-1).

3A Top 20 Rankings (Dec. 18)

1. Jarrell (13-0), 2. Brock (17-1), 3. Bowie (9-4), 4. S.A. Cole (18-1), 5. Palestine Westwood (14-1), 6. Schulenburg (11-3), 7. Peaster (11-5), 8. East Chambers (12-1), 9. Ponder (13-4), 10. Central Heights (14-4), 11. Edgewood (12-2), 12. Madison (3-12), 13. La Marque (7-7), 14. Nocona (8-2), 15. Wall (11-1), 16. Van Vleck (3-2), 17. Van Alstyne (10-5), 18. Mt. Vernon (12-0), 19. Kountze (8-6), 20. Teague (2-0), 21. Pollok Central (13-6), 22. Commerce (5-4), 23. Canadian (0-0), 24. Pottsboro (11-2), 25. Santa Rosa (3-8)