CINCINNATI – Wilmington started the season with 14 straight wins. They’ve now reeled off 13 more consecutive victories heading into the state Final 4. Up next for WHS is Lima Senior on Friday evening in Columbus.
MOVIN’ ON UP … With 17 points Saturday night, Wilmington senior Jarron Cumberland now sits alone in 16th place on the Ohio all-time scoring list with 2,383 points. Up next is Allan Hornyak (Bellaire St. John Central) who is in 15th place with 2,385 points.
INSTANT ENERGY … For the second consecutive game, Jeffrey Mansfield came off the bench to give Wilmington an instant spark. He finished with 6 points and 2 rebounds, but more importantly provided the Hurricane with energy.
“I just want to give this team everything I have. The big thing is, what can I do to help this team win?” Mansfield said. “My biggest thing is, those two games I fouled out, I really owed the team. And I want to prove to my teammates that I really do have their back and I will give everything I have to win.”
Mansfield will play an even bigger role moving forward after Alex Miller left the game in the third quarter with an arm injury after taking a nasty fall.
DEFENSIVE STOPPER … Wilmington’s defense suffocated Centerville all night long, holding the Elks to 26.3 percent (10-of-38) shooting from the field, and even worse from 3-point land (21.4 percent, 3-of-14). The Elks made 4-of-23 shots in the first half.
Spearheading Wilmington’s defense all year long has been sophomore Dylan Beaugard. He grabbed 6 rebounds from his guard spot and also added 2 steals and 2 assists.
The lightning-quick guard always takes it upon himself to make his presence felt at the defensive end of the court.
“I’m not tall, so I try to get in there and be as physical as I can. Whoever has the ball, I try to get up in them. I usually have the leverage and quickness on them,” Beaugard said. “If I let them get me in the post it’s hard, so I just use my quickness and speed.”
OFFENSIVE STAR … As usual, Jarron Cumberland provided the offensive punch for Wilmington, especially in the second half. The Hurricane managed just 5 second half field goals, 4 of those from the University of Cincinnati commit. He scored 10 of his game-high 17 points after the intermission.
LEFT SOME POINTS ON THE FLOOR … Despite leading by double-digits for most of the night, Wilmington’s lead could have been bigger, but uncharacteristically, the Hurricane struggled somewhat at the free throw line. Wilmington hit on 15-of-24 from the charity stripe, with Cumberland going 4-of-10.
