Mark Carpenter/The People’s Defender
North Adams senior guard Kris King gets off this shot over the outstretched arms of a Williamsburg defender during the Devils’ 73-57 win on Saturday night. King led the winners with 23 points, including five three-pointers.
Mark Carpenter/The People’s Defender
As he has done all season, North Adams’ sixth man David Shipley came off the bench to key the Devils’ offense with a pair of early three-point goals. Here, Shipley gets off a shot over the defense of Williamsburg’s Luke Workman (#12).
Devils get weekend sweep with 73-57 win over Williamsburg
Three point barrage keys Saturday night victory
After a grind it out Southern Hills Athletic Conference win at Lynchburg on Friday night, the North Adams Green Devils came back to their own friendly confines on Saturday evening to host the Williamsburg Wildcats in a non-conference tilt. The game resembled a Civil War artillery barrage as the two squads combined to fire in 20 three-pointers, but it was the Devils who won the battle, knocking off their visitors by a final count of 73-57.
"We've had some problems scoring this year, but tonight we shot the ball well," said North Adams head coach Nathan Copas.
The game began with a long distance call from Williamsburg's Josh Wells, but it wasn't long before the Devils had an answer. The home team went deep for treys from Kris King and sixth man David Shipley. Another bomb from Sheridan Carroll gave North Adams an 11-6 lead, but that margin was slashed when the Wildcats' Kendal Young hit his second three.
With the game tied at 11, Shipley struck again from deep on the left wing and that was followed by Devin Gardner repeating that performance twice from beyond the arc to end the first quarter with the Devils up 20-11.
"We have done that all year, make runs at people," said Copas. "What I tell my kids is we need to make that run, then extend that run."
The Devils did extend and made it a 11-0 run by starting the second period with buckets by King and Seth Sparks. Moments later King drilled another three and then got a stick back to put North Adams up 29-17. Yet another trey by the on-fire King stretched the lead further and when Will Leasure made a steal and ensuing layup, the Devils were running away at 34-23 with 3:40 left in the first half.
The first half fireworks weren't over however as Andrew Mitchell tossed in the 13th three of the half and Shipley picked a Williamsburg pocket under the bucket for an easy lay- in. After the Cats' Young hit from long range, the home team finished the first half in exciting fashion. First, Levi Bales got loose on the baseline for a thunderous dunk and as the halftime buzzer sounded, King fired one up from mid court that banked right in, sending the Devils to the locker room with all the momentum and a 45-30 advantage.
"I told my coaches that those were two of the most exciting plays I had seen in awhile," said Coach Copas. "It was a good boost for us going into the locker room."
That momentum carried over to the third quarter as North Adams began with a quick 6-2 spurt that forced a Williamsburg timeout. That didn't stem the tide much as the Devils got a pair of free throws from both Carroll and King, plus another Gardner hoop. After Young drained a three from NBA range, the Devils said "we will match that" and closed the third period with back to back threes from Gardner and Mitchell to lead 63-41 .
After the Devils scored the first four points of the fourth quarter, the Wildcats put together their best stretch of the night, going on a 10-4 run capped off by a put back in the lane from Luke Workman. That run only brought the visitors back to within 68-53 with time quickly running out. The 20th three of the game came from Williamsburg's Austin Horn but the final bucket for the Devils came from Hank Sparks to finish off an impressive 73-57 triumph for the home team.
For the winners, it was Kris King leading the way with 23 points and he was joined in double figures by three other players, Devin Gardner with 11, and David Shipley and Andrew Mitchell with 10 apiece. Sheridan Carroll chipped in with 6.
For Williamsburg, the big man on the night was Kendal Young, who torched the nets for a game high of 32 points, the only Wildcat to reach double figures in the score Devils came from Hank Sparks to finish off an impressive 73-57 triumph for the home team.
For the winners, it was Kris King leading the way with 23 points and he was joined in double figures by three other players, Devin Gardner with 11, and David Shipley and Andrew Mitchell with 10 apiece. Sheridan Carroll chipped in with 6.
For Williamsburg, the big man on the night was Kendal Young, who torched the nets for a game high of 32 points, the only Wildcat to reach double figures in the scorebook.
The Devils jumped right back last night into SHAC play in a big way last night as they traveled to Peebles for the third meeting of the two teams in the regular season. Both teams have a win so look for the report on this rubber match in the upcoming weekend edition of The People's Defender.
"It will be a heck of a game with a big crowd," added Coach Copas. "Everyone's looking for that tie breaker."
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