Gallery by Karen Akers
The basketball madness that comes with March is still three months away. However, Tuesday night when Greater Beckley Christian welcomed James Monroe in a top-5 showdown, March seemed to come early.
Fueled by intense and emotional play all night, it was the Crusaders who took round one by the score of 94-74.
“This is the fastest I have ever seen Greater Beckley run. Hats off to them, they played really well tonight. Probably the best I have seen them play,” James Monroe head coach Matt Sauvage said.
After three ties in the first quarter, a triple from Kaden Smallwood and a buzzer beater from John Rose gave the Crusaders a 21-16 lead.
James Monroe reversed the momentum with two baskets from Eli Allen and a long ball from Shad Sauvage for a 23-21 lead early in the second quarter.
Over the last four minutes of the quarter however, Greater Beckley began to flex its power, especially inside. Scoring 16 points over that stretch, the Crusaders ran out to a 43-32 lead at the break.
With just under two minutes gone in the second half in a 12-point game, winning and losing took a back seat.
In a scramble for a rebound, Cameron Thomas from James Monroe went hard to the floor, landing on his back, and was injured.
“(Cam) came down on his lower back and right above his hip area was hurting. He could feel his right leg, but couldn’t move it. I love him to death. I love all these kids to death and it concerns you,” Sauvage said.
Thomas would be taken from the floor on a stretcher and sent to the hospital by ambulance.
“Cameron Thomas is a competitor and it is always difficult to see a kid go down like that and it is very worrisome,” Greater Beckley head coach Justin Arvon said.
Unfortunately it was not the first time that Thomas had been injured in a game at Greater Beckley.
“Last year in the same exact spot on about the same exact play, Cam got a concussion,” Sauvage said. “I don’t think there was anything dirty. It was just unfortunate.”
Over the next four minutes, a 12-point game became a 22-point Crusaders advantage.
“You just have to start over. You have to start your intensity level over and focus over. Luckily we have some leaders that can help us do that,” Arvon said.
Trailing by 19 after three quarters, James Monroe was far from done, cutting the lead back to 10 with just over a minute to play.
“When Cameron got hurt, it deflated the boys a little bit, but (Greater Beckley) was already up. I think the boys figured out a little bit about themselves tonight,” Sauvage said. “What you want is to see how are we going to grow from this and in the fourth quarter I think we figured that out. Overall they fought back.”
John Rose led the scoring for the Crusaders with 23, but the dominant play inside by Sherlock Padmore was something the Mavs had no answers for Tuesday.
“Sherlock is definitely an advantage in the paint. He is a really hard worker and is strong. He hasn’t played much basketball and is relatively new to it, but he will only progress from here,” Arvon said.
Padmore tallied 16 points and grabbed 20 rebounds on the night.
“The biggest thing I took from this game was our boys fought. We were down a man and the game was more physical than what we have played yet,” Sauvage said. “We didn’t adjust to that very well and not just underneath. I am talking the guards going down the floor and everything. (Padmore) is a big old boy and he controlled the glass. I thought he hurt us worse than anyone of them did. Not just points, but how he controlled the paint.”
Kendrick Wilson was also a thorn in the side of the visitors with his ability to get to the rim or pull up for open jumpers. Wilson finished with 18 points.
“He is a really good guard and a vocal leader on the floor. Keeping his emotions in check can be one thing, but I want that,” Arvon said. “I would rather have to pull someone back than get them to go. Kendrick is go, go, go all the time and he is a great player.”
Smallwood scored 14 and Michael Judy added nine. Allen led all scorers for the Mavs with 25 and Sauvage added 23. Thomas scored 10 before his injury.
“This game does a lot for our confidence, but our guys really don’t have a lack of confidence. I am glad we won the game, but we will see them again. They are an extremely good basketball team,” Arvon said. “I will also say that James Monroe has the most respectful kids and they were raised correctly. Matt has an outstanding program.”
James Monroe 74
Shad Sauvage 23, Eli Allen 25, Layton Dowdy 2, Haiden Huffman 2, Collin Fox 7, Cameron Thomas 10, Jakobey Meadows 1, Brady Baker 4. Totals: 25 21-36 74.
Greater Beckley 94
Sean-David Kadjo 6, Kaden Smallwood 14, Kendrick Wilson 18, John Rose 23, Sherlock Padmore 16, Michael Judy 9, Mika Robinson 4, Azel Carmichal 4. Totals: 36 12-26 94.
3-pointers – JM: 3 (Sauvage 3); GBC: 10 (Kadjo 2, Smallwood 3, Wilson 2, Rose 2, Judy).
