Yoe basketball drops 3rd straight

Lexington

When the Yoemen have been at their best and winning games, they have been doing it with a strong presence down low.

Against Lexington, Yoe head coach Ed Glendening felt that production was lacking, as the Yoemen had just 17 points in the paint in a 48-43 loss to the Eagles.

“We just made too many mistakes in the paint,” said Glendening, who added that he was not sure why his team was all of a sudden tentative. “We are in the paint with layups and attacks and we're just turning the ball over and we’re nervous to shoot the ball.”

The loss drops Cameron to 14-6 overall and 1-2 in 20-3A play. Lexington (2-1) defeated Rogers (36-28) on Tuesday to move to one game over .500 in district. The newly establish win streak could not have been done without Jordan Kerr’s production, as the sophomore guard finished with 25 of Lexington’s 48 points on the night.

“He is young and he is extremely skilled,” said Lexington coach Michael Williams. “He has great body control. Last year, he played on the JV most of the season and he averaged about 30 points per game. He is a great athlete and is just a good basketball player.”

Up by three with just eight seconds remaining, Kerr calmly sank two free-throw shots to put the game away. The high-pressure moment is something that the sophomore embraces.

“I just try to block out all the noise,” said Kerr, who added the win was big for his team.

Cameron trailed 17-6 after one, but managed to tie things up at the half, 22-22. Kevondre Wesley’s six points helped knot things up at the break.

Cameron went cold again in the third, scoring just five points in what led to a 35-27 deficit heading to the final quarter.

Lexington extended the lead all the way up to 14 in the fourth before Yoe guard Sicory Smith scored on a layup to end the scoring run at 46-34. Smith was the lone Yoemen in double figures with 10 points.

Danny Perez scored six of his eight points in the fourth, with a pair of 3s to cut the lead down to one possession.

Wesley finished with nine points while LaRondre Booze had eight. Wesley had a total of seven rebounds, with five coming on the offensive end.

Both teams shot well from the floor, where Lexington was 18-34 (53 percent) while Cameron was at 15-33 (45 percent). Lexington had 24 turnovers while Cameron committed 23 miscues.

Rogers

Going into Tuesday’s road contest at Rogers, Cameron needed a shift in momentum after dropping back-to-back district 20-3A games.

For a majority of the game, Cameron appeared like they were going to get back in the win column. However, Rogers, despite trailing most of the way, made the shots that counted the most down the stretch in a 61-57 win.

With the game tied at 57 and under 30 seconds remaining, Rogers coach and Yoe High alumni Barrett Evan called a timeout with his team in possession of the ball. The call was to Garrett Kennedy. Moments later, Kennedy found position inside and laid in the go-ahead bucket and eventual winning shot.

“The set play to take the lead is something we've done all year,” said Evan. “It's one of our go-to's in set situations, and I feel confident with the ball in his hands.”

Kennedy added on the win: “It's huge because we were coming in here 1-2 and if we want to make a run at the playoffs, we needed a big win. It's a big moral booster because we are finally putting points on the board.”

Rogers (2-2) limited Cameron’s presence in the paint most of the night, but the three-point shot was there for the Yoemen. Yoe guard Jordan Young recorded 12 of his 14 points from beyond the arc and gave Cameron’s its biggest lead of the game at 17-11 in the first.

“They had two three-point shooters that got hot tonight and I thought it was going to cost us, but that is how we're always going to play Cameron,” said Evan. “We're going to pack the paint and find a win.

The other hot shooter for Cameron was Danny Perez, who had two-three pointers and finished with a team-high 19 points.

Cameron (1-3) led 17-15 after one, 34-31 after two ad 45-44 after three before surrendering the lead late in the fourth.

Levi May and Kevondre Wesley both had nine points for Cameron. May had a team high six rebounds. Isaiah Freeman led all scorers with 24 points for Rogers.