By Chris McCarthy/Editor
Sparked by a strong first half and a solid performance at the free throw line, Westbrook Christian advanced to the finals of the Class 3A, Area 11 boys basketball tournament with a 71-51 victory over Ashville on Tuesday (Dec. 3) at GHS.
The Warriors, who led from start to finish, essentially put the game away with a 12-2 run in the second quarter. The Bulldogs never got within double digits the rest of the way, and Westbrook took a 29-15 advantage into halftime.
The closest that Ashville got in the second half was at 31-20 on Nick Looney’s three-point basket at 7:17 of the third frame. The Warriors answered with an 18-5 spurt that made it 49-29 after 24 minutes.
With the Bulldogs in foul trouble during the fourth quarter, Westbrook went 16-for-23 at the charity stripe to wrap up the win.
The Warriors ended up shooting 73 percent (24-for-33) at free throw line, while Ashville made 58 percent (14-for-24) of its foul shots.
Four players scored in double figures for Westbrook, led by Jordan Kilgo with 15 points. Emil Smith added 14 points, followed by Chandler Richards with 13 and Kyle Leonard with 10. Richards also had seven rebounds.
Looney paced Ashville with 19 points, while DJ Cook had 12.