Rams turn tables on rival

The Rucker-Stewart Middle School boys basketball team avenged an earlier loss at cross-town rival Shafer in a big way on Monday evening.

The Rams dominated play from start to finish, rolling to a 56-32 victory.

Rucker-Stewart suffered a 36-32 loss to the Green Wave when the two teams played on Nov. 12.

“From that Shafer game up until now, we’ve made improvement,” Rams’ head coach Chris Williams said. “We had a tough stretch where we didn’t play well, but I’m getting the guys to focus on them, getting them trying to do well and doing what we do best.”

Rucker-Stewart (4-8) forced numerous turnovers with its halfcourt defensive pressure in the first half, leading to a 13-3 lead by the end of the first quarter and a 31-11 advantage by halftime.

“The emphasis is on defense,” Williams said. “If you play strong defense, it will open everything up. We have good bodies and good length.

“Cason Wix … he stepped up big tonight. He did tremendous for us. He played good defense and was in the passing lanes. He set the tone, and everyone else stepped up to play.”

Five different Rams scored in the first quarter, with Wix’s steal leading to Kavon Blankenship’s 3-pointer in the final seconds of the period.

Blankenship and teammate Travian Fitts made second-quarter 3-pointers, and Bryshawn Bell and Caleb Donovan provided interior baskets, extending the lead to 22 points (29-7).

“We practiced every day we could over Christmas break,” Shafer head coach Mitch Merryman said. “We look like we got worse.

“Energy-wise, all activity, they were the leaders on.”

The Green Wave (4-8) didn’t get any closer than 17 points in the second half.

Blankenship scored 13 of his game-high 17 points in the first half, and teammate Luke Springer provided 11 points. Fitts made a pair of perimeter jump shots in the fourth quarter, accounting for five of his eight points.

Isaiah Briscoe led Shafer offensively with six points, and teammates Eric Mobley, Christian Moss and Jaden Williams all scored five points.

Both teams conclude the regular season with games on Monday. Rucker-Stewart plays at Portland West, while the Green Wave play at Ellis.

“That’s the focal point, thinking about tournament play,” Williams said. “These three games (after the Christmas break) allow us to do different things, run different sets and see who can help us.

“The emphasis is on practice. If we practice well, we’ll play well. That gives us confidence. We’ve worked on a lot of fundamentals. Now, we are working on more specific things. We have to see what is working and see who can do what.”

Reach Craig Harris atcharris@mtcngroup.com or at 615-575-7138. Follow him on Twitter @HarrisGNESports.

SHAFER (32) – Isaiah Briscoe 6, Eric Mobley 5, Christian Moss 5, Jaden Williams 5, D.J. Collins 4, Noah Ring 4, A.J. Branham 2, Ty Martin 1.

RUCKER-STEWART (56) – Kavon Blankenship 17, Luke Springer 11, Travian Fitts 8, Caleb Donovan 5, Bryshawn Bell 4, Hayden Minor 4, Tay Staten 3, Isaiah Ellis 2, Arnez Williams 2.

Half: 31-11, Rucker-Stewart. Three-point goals: Shafer 0, Rucker-Stewart 4 (Blankenship 2, Fitts 2). Records: Shafer 4-8, Rucker-Stewart 4-8.