Pair of 9-point runs helps Webb dispose of Hawks
Editor’s note: due to an extremely early holiday deadline necessitated by printing requirements, the opening round of the 2024 Hammer’s Hardwood Classic Thursday, Dec. 19, was our last chance to cover this tourney for this issue.
KNOXVILLE — Any basketball fan knows the game can be streaky.
Thursday night, Dec. 19, at Webb School of Knoxville in the opening round of the Hammer’s Hardwood Classic, sponsored by 5-Star Preps, the Spartans used a pair of second-half nine-point runs to pull away from visiting Hardin Valley Academy.
A game that was competitive into the third quarter wound up as a convincing Spartans win, 66-43.
Webb was equally adept at both getting the ball inside and hitting jumpers, including threes.
“We’ve got a good team,” Spartans head coach Ricky Norris said. “We’ve got a little balance; we got some guys who can make shots. That opens up the lanes so we can drive it.”
Hawks head coach Andy Arendt was impressed with the Team in Green. “They’re a fantastic team,” he said. “The most complete team in Knoxville, probably. They’ve got all the pieces.”
Webb led only 15-12 after one, but thanks to a 9-2 run in the second quarter that lead grew to 31-20 at the half.
More than halfway through the third, the Spartans still led by 11, 40-29. A 9-0 run over the next three minutes put the lead at 20, 49-29, and HVA wouldn’t catch up.
“It all starts with us on the defensive end,” Norris said. “When other teams are feeling us defensively, then offense usually takes care of itself.”
The Hawks managed to cut the lead to 15, 51-36, at the end of three, but another 9-0 run by Webb to start the fourth blew the game open.
“We don’t have a ton of depth,” Arendt said. “Whenever we put some bench guys in they’re gonna take advantage of them in the post.”
While Webb improved its record to 11-1, HVA fell to 7-4.
Junior wing Owen Lentz led the Spartans in scoring with 16. Senior wing Shavar Young added 11.
Hawks’ senior wing Ben Brophy led all scorers with 21, which included his 1,000th point at HVA.
