Memorial surges past Central
BY BARRY LEWIS World Sports Writer
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
2/06/13 at 6:12 AM
Memorial forward MikeQuan Deane saw an energy shortage keep last season's Chargers team from posting a winning record.
"I feel like last year's team didn't have that much energy to come out to play games," Deane said. "They didn't have enough enthusiasm to play the game they love and didn't have fun."
Deane is helping make sure that's not a problem for this season's Chargers, who are No. 2 in the Class 5A rankings.
"I feel like that's my role on the team," Deane said. "I bring a lot of energy."
On Tuesday night, Deane scored 18 points to help lead the host Chargers past 4A No. 10 Central 80-52.
It was the second meeting between the teams in a week as Memorial won 60-51 last Wednesday at Central.
"You can never look past Central," said Deane, a 6-foot-4 junior who averages 10 points and four rebounds per game. "We came out wanting to play hard because we know Central always plays hard. We knew we had to come out with intensity.
"Our team is starting to come together and play like a championship team."
Memorial coach Eric Savage appreciates Deane's energy and intensity.
"He always gives us a lot of energy and I think the other players feed off his enthusiasm," Savage said. "He'll make some mistakes for doing that, but I can live with that as a coach when you give the type of effort as he does and with his rebounding."
So what does Deane do before a game to make sure he is energized?
"I like to listen to music - Taylor Swift and all kinds of music," Deane said.
R.J. Diggs and Grant Murphy scored 12 points each for the Chargers (16-4), who remained atop the Green Country Conference with a 10-2 record with two games remaining. Memorial received scoring from 12 players.
"Going into the game I wanted to make sure our energy was up and we were playing good defense," Savage said. "Central played hard and they created a lot of turnovers. I was pleased with our effort, we got a lot of contributions up and down the bench, trying to get as much experience as we can to get ready for the playoffs."
Delvon Lucas matched his scoring average with 20 points for the Braves (9-9, 7-5). Lucas, however, had his playing time limited as he picked up a technical for his third foul with 2:54 left in the first quarter.
Lucas had six points at that time and the game was tied at 10. He sat out the next 90 seconds as Memorial reeled off six straight points and was never caught. Lucas came in briefly and made two free throws, but picked up his fourth foul late in the first half. Deane had eight points in the second period as Memorial rolled to a 39-21 lead going into intermission.
Central cut its deficit to 51-37 late in the third quarter before the Chargers' clinching 13-0 run that ended when Memorial's Devin Perez picked up a foul and technical foul with 4:09 left. Lucas took advantage by making four straight free throws to ignite his 12-point scoring surge in the final moments. Murphy scored 10 in the final period for Memorial.
"We played a quality opponent and only won by nine at their place last week," Savage said. "We knew Central was going to come in there ready to play and we wanted to challenge our guys to match their intensity and take care of home court."
MEMORIAL 80, CENTRAL 52
| Central |
14 |
7 |
16 |
15 |
- |
52 |
| Memorial |
19 |
20 |
14 |
27 |
- |
80 |
Central (9-9): Lucas 20, Manuel 9, Williams 7, Evans 6, Glover 4, Smith 2, Tiger 2, Daniels 1, Johnson 1.
Memorial (16-4): Deane 18, Diggs 12, Murphy 12, Smith 8, Kemp 7, Powell 7, Cockrell 4, McClellan 3, Perez 3, Edwards 2, Staab 2, White 2.
Original Print Headline: Chargers surge past Braves
Barry Lewis 918-581-8393
barry.lewis@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Memorial's MikeQuan Deane takes a shot under pressure from Central's Randy Barnes (left) during Tuesday's game at Memorial High School. MATT BARNARD / Tulsa World
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