Wayne Christian won its third game in a row to improve to 11-4 overall on Monday evening against John Paul II, but it was not easy.
Despite giving up 45 points to Jude Wiseman-Raven, Wayne Christian held on for an 84-80 victory.
“Hats off John Paul II. They played well and made some great plays down the stretch,” Wayne Christian head coach Tommy Fox said.
The Eagles started the game off on a 23-9 run, but they cooled off as the Saints closed the gap to 27-21 at the end of the first quarter.
A 6-0 run at the start of the second quarter put John Paul II in front 28-27, but a three-pointer from Rayshawn Boston put the Eagles back in front and sparked an 11-4 run.
Wayne Christian led 43-37 at the break, and the Eagles started to really heat up again in the third quarter.
Jayquan Curry scored seven of his team-high 29 points in the third quarter, while Boston, who finished with 27 points, scored nine points in the third quarter.
“We did a better job of playing defense,” Fox said.
Curry also hit a three-pointer at the buzzer that gave Wayne Christian a 61-45 lead at the end of the third quarter.
“It’s my second year coaching him (Jayquan Curry), and he’s made play after play,” Fox said. “He’s a fantastic high school basketball player.
“He makes me look good, and he’s a great player.”
It looked like the Eagles would cruise to victory, but Wiseman-Raven had other plans in store.
Wiseman-Raven knocked down five three-pointers, single-handily kept the Saints in the game and eventually helped make the score 80-80 with 1:50 left in the game.
“We let the one kid (Wiseman-Raven get really hot. He got some open looks, and he made them, and then he felt really good about himself, and then he made some great shots,” Fox said. “He had a great night.”
The Saints missed a chance to tie or take the lead on their next possession, while a basket from Boston put the Eagles back in front 82-80.
John Paul II had another chance to tie or take the lead, but a block from Shiquan Etheridge effectively shut the door on the Saints’ comeback attempt. With 12.8 seconds left, Boston drained two more free throws.
Wayne Christian hosts Wayne Country Day (18-5 overall) tonight.
