Class 5 No. 7 Rock Bridge was too much for Willard in the Class 5 sectional round as the Bruins beat Willard 66-37 to advance to Saturday’s quarterfinals.
“I think they (Rock Bridge) were ready to play. They obviously understood what was on the line and they did an excellent job of executing their game plan. Hats off to them,” Willard head coach Lamont Frazier said.
Rock Bridge scored on five of its first six possessions missing just two shots total on those first six trips to race out to a 21-13 lead after the first quarter. Willard would never get closer as Rock Bridge used a 22-point game from Isaiah Mosley and 17 from Eysan Wiley to take down the Tigers who finish the season at 18-9.
Willard was led in scoring by a trio of seniors in Samuel Bird (10 points) and Houston Johnson and Jermaine Jackson (six points each). The Tigers say good-bye to six total seniors.
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“Over the last three years this group has come a long way from two seasons ago winning six games to last season winning eight games and then obviously this year they doubled it up,” Frazier said. “My hat goes off to them because they didn’t quit. They stuck it out and they stayed around. They were able to do something special. I don’t think they quite reached what they were after, but I don’t think they would give this season back for anything.”
Frazier has a strong core returning next season led by junior guards Kenny Chambers and Kobe Holloman, but the Tigers have work to do in the offseason.
“We are really going to have to work in the offseason. We are going to have to get stronger. We are going to have to get more athletic. Our basketball IQ’s are going to have to increase,” Frazier said. “This is the same team you are going to see the next couple years in Rock Bridge. If you are going to beat them you have to get to that level.”
Rock Bridge advances to face Kickapoo at 1 p.m. on Saturday at SBU with a berth in the Class 5 Final Four on the line.
Willard: 13-6-8-10 — 37
Rock Bridge 21-14-17-14 — 66
Willard: Samuel Bird 10, Houston Johnson 6, Jermaine Jackson 6, Kenny Chambers 5, Kobe Holloman 5, Caiden Dalton 3, Quintin Batson 3
Rock Bridge: Isaiah Mosley 22, Eysan Wiley 17, Dajuan Harris 8, Ja’Monta Black 7, Justin Hajicek 7Spencer Miles 2, Drew Boswell 2, Caleb Rhodenbaugh 1
