(BRYN ATHYN, Pa.) – Another defensive masterpiece helped Wilson defeat Bryn Athyn in a battle between the top two teams in the United East Skye Division on Wednesday night. The Phoenix limited the Lions to shooting just 30.4% from the field for a season-low 52 points, while
Darryl Garib (Sr., Dallas, Texas / Forest Park) and
Ethan Wilson (Jr., Manassas, Va. / Osbourn Park / Howard C.C.) both hit the 20-point plateau to pace the Blue and White offense.
With the result, Wilson is now just a half-game behind Bryn Athyn for first place in the Skye Division. However, the Lions have just one conference game remaining on their schedule, while Wilson still has two. Wins in the final two games would give the Phoenix the top seed in the Skye Division bracket of the United East Championship tournament.
The Basics
Score: Wilson 62, Bryn Athyn 52
Venue: Asplundh Field House
Records: 13-10, 11-2 Skye; Bryn Athyn 17-7, 12-3
How It Happened
- An incredible defensive start allowed the Phoenix to take a big lead as they opened up a 20-4 advantage over the first 12 minutes in the game. Gary Robertson (Sr., Washington, D.C. / Potomac / Bryant & Stratton) was a figurehead on both ends of the court as he contributed seven of those 20 points to go with two defensive rebounds and two steals.
- The Lions were able to claw their way back into the game and get within single digits on an 8-0 run to make the score 20-12 with 4:13 to go in the half. Their momentum didn't last as Garib and Ethan Wilson took control and outscored Bryn Athyn 11-3 down the stretch to take a 31-15 lead into the locker room at halftime.
- Bryn Athyn opened up the second half with a 3-pointer, but an old-fashioned 3-point play by Garib once again stopped the Lions from building up much momentum. Another trey by Bryn Athyn made the score 38-30 with 13:23 to play, but another bunny coupled with an and-one free throw by Garib on the return trip put Wilson back up by double-digits. Garib was once again fouled on a made layup, and his third and-one conversion of the half gave the Phoenix a 51-34 advantage with 7:50 to go for their largest lead of the game.
- The Lions were able to get back within single digits on a couple of occasions, but the closest they could get was within eight after an Isaac Marshall jumper with 4:16 on the clock. The hosts started to foul shortly after in hopes of getting closer, but the Phoenix were able to make seven free throws and ad an Ethan Wilson layup to put the game away.
Inside The Numbers
- Garib led all scorers with 26 points. Most of his damage came in the second half as he went 5-of-11 from the field and 8-of-12 from the charity stripe for 18 points.
- Ethan Wilson was strong throughout the game as he dropped an even 20. It's the fifth time he's scored at least 20 points this season. It's also the fourth time in the last five games he's scored at least 19.
- Robertson had the role of iron man as he clocked in for the full 40 minutes. It showed up across the stat sheet as well as he was busy all around the floor with 11 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals.
- Wilson made the most of the turnover battle as it outscored Bryn Athyn 22-2 in points resulting from miscues. The Phoenix were relatively clean on their possessions and committed just nine turnovers to tie the season-low.
- The .304 shooting percentage by the Lions is a new season-best by the Wilson defense, surpassing the .311 mark by Delware Valley in the season opener.
- The Lions were led by Will Little who scored 20 points and pulled down seven rebounds.
For The Record
- The victory is the 11th consecutive win for the Phoenix over the Lions. The last win in the series by Bryn Athyn came back on December 2, 2017. Wilson leads the all-time series 14-4.
- The win also guarantees the Phoenix a third-straight season with at least a .500 record, and fourth overall in nine seasons. The Blue and White are 50-27 over the last three seasons under head coach Mark Seidenburg.
Up Next
Wilson will look complete the home-and-home series with Cairn with a trip to Langhorne on Saturday, just five days after defeating the Highlanders at home. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
