Zoe Collins Rath
Feb 12, 2022
Petersburg was dominant in their first quarter against Matoaca thanks to team defense, but the efforts of one person made waves more so than others because he was a constant pest.
George Wilson III got a steal off a rebound, dribbled up the court to find Chris Fields for an easy score to make it 6-4 Wave.
The ball was loose and no one secured it. After the third squabble, Wilson scooped up the ball and went coast-to-coast to make it 8-4.
Most people would remember Kaymeign Lundy's three-point shot in the corner to make it 11-4. But Wilson wrestled the ball away from a Matoaca Warrior and a foul call turned up in favor of the Wave. Petersburg's offense was able to get started and go on a role that did not stop until the final buzzer for their 67-53 victory.
"George... he kinda got us going," explained Head Coach Ryan Massenburg.
The last time Petersburg played Matoaca, the Wave got outrebounded. But in this game, it was defensive rebounds that helped initiate the offensive flow. Bernard Fuller was a great example of boxing out to get a rebound to find someone like Wilson, Tylik Lawerence, or CJ Claiborne to score on a fast break.
"For everybody to come in, step up and play the way they played... especially with the defense and the rebounding," said Massenburg of the team's performance.
When Petersburg made their layups and there was contact, it was either a no call or a trip to the free-throw line, where the Wave shot 57% on the night. It was not perfect but their defense created opportunities to mitigate a chance of a comeback for the Warriors.
Also, the last time the Wave played the Warriors, Petersburg was not on the take as much as they typically are. But in the opening minutes of the back-and-forth, missed shots and fast-breaking, Claiborne hit the floor for a charge. He got another in the second half to give Petersburg the ball back.
Petersburg's defense smothered the Warriors and they looked like they were playing the Petersburg basketball, the team prides themselves on. Claiborne held guards at the top of the key and F^2 got a few blocks in the clutch.
The key to what Massenburg said was that everyone was involved in the defensive performance for the Wave. Wilson was the spark and everyone followed suit. But the Wave had moments of not playing the consistent defense they played in the opening minutes of quarters.
"I feel like we got too relaxed and we didn't take them as seriously as we should've," said Chris Fields after the game.
It was true. Petersburg started the opening minutes of a quarter strong but would ease up, giving opponents a chance to come back. The game was close, and they won, but keeping a consistent defensive effort holds off any chance of a comeback.
Petersburg's defense is strong and they are confident in it. Wilson was the spark on defense to help ignite the Petersburg offense to go to another level of intensity, which everyone got to.
Scoring on fast breaks is what helped the Wave win because no one could compete with the speed of guards like Claiborne and Lundy. But if F^2 got a defensive rebound they found Lundy or Lawerence who took the ball coast-to-coast or stop for a jumper; something the Warriors could not stop.
Defense wins games for a reason, not because it can lead to scoring points. But because of how much impact the defense of one person can spark everyone else to step up their games. Wilson did it tonight and has been doing it in previous games.
In the next games, who knows who will spark for the Wave.