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MOUNT ULLA — The first time A.L. Brown played West Rowan this season, the Wonders were shut out in the first quarter.
It’s hard to improve upon perfection, but somehow West has done it. After the Falcons annihilated the Wonders 82-50 on Friday night, Wonder coach Shelwyn Klutz said West’s defense has gotten a whole lot better since that first meeting on Dec. 12.
“How does anyone score against them?” asked Klutz. “We couldn’t score. They did a great job contesting our first shot, because they are so athletic. And they are so big, you don’t get a second shot. They’re getting better every week, and that’s scary.”
Like Klutz said, while no one was looking, the Falcons (16-4, 12-0) got scary. Their new emphasis on ferocious man-to-man defense is working so well, that they are now a virtual lock to run the table in a 3A South Piedmont Conference that has been stronger, but is still far from weak.
The catalyst for West’s defensive surge has been the return of super-defender Terris Sifford from a serious knee injury. Sifford was phenomenal against the Wonders, with four steals, three blocks and 13 first-half points.
“They’ve added Sifford to that perimeter now,” sighed Klutz, “and he’s a good 6-3. He’s as big as our post people and that makes it tough. Real tough.”
And Sifford’s defense is apparently contagious. All the Falcons are scratching, clawing, moving their feet and touching the floor now.
A visit to Mount Ulla has become a 32-minute nightmare for oppenents and even ever-demaning coach Mike Gurley shrugs and admits that his guys are playing hard, looking good.
“We practiced really good (Wednesday and Thursday),” said Gurley. “But I didn’t have a feel for this game. Were we really that ready or was it a facade?”
The Falcons were really that ready.
The Wonder guard tandem of lightning-quick Aundrae Allison and muscleman Jason Brown is about as good as it gets. But the Falcons pounced on the high-scoring duo, holding them to 6-for-26 shooting from the field.
Twice, West big man Donte Minter stepped in and took charges on Brown after he had gotten past Wonder guards. And when a team’s star is willing to do the little things, it’s a pretty good sign that things are rolling in the right direction.
Minter, who had averaged 17.3 ppg against the Wonders in his previous six games against them, was mostly a decoy. He scored just six points, all in the first half, bringing to an end a string of 26 consecutive games in double figures.
“Usually our perimeter helps Donte. Tonight, Donte freed up our perimeter,” said Gurley. “It’s zig and zag. We showed some balance. We did a little of both tonight.”
West scored in every way imaginable. Phillip Williams (12 points) and Jason Williams (11) scored on the offensive glass. Junior Hairston (13) and Sifford scored in transition off steals. Tim Mauldin (15 points) planted his feet and knocked down bombs. The Wonder stopped Minter, but they couldn’t control all of West’s weapons.
A.L. BROWN (50) — Brown 9, Barrier 4, Blakeney 6, Miller 1, A.Allison 7, Robinson 3, Thomas 9, Blackmon 2, Collins 1, Crawford 1, Burch 2, T. Allison 5, Abercrombie.
WEST ROWAN (82) — P.Williams 12, Minter 6, Sifford 13, Hairston 11, Everhart 5, Mauldin 15, Barringer 2, J. Williams 11, Pritchard, Trosper 3, Diggs, Gaither, Goodnight 4, High, Johnson.
A.L. Brown 12 10 13 15 — 50
West Rowan 20 30 13 19 — 82
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