Wilmington defeats Mercer
Wilmington (64) Vs. Mercer (57)
Jan 26, 2011
A strong defensive effort and a career mark for Darryl Pace helped Wilmington get back on track in District 10, Region 2-AA action.
The Greyhounds trailed Mercer, 9-0, to start the game, but they held the Mustangs to just two points in the second quarter to take a 26-16 halftime lead. Mercer eventually cut the lead to four, but Pace, who tied a career high with 25 points, scored eight in the fourth quarter to help Wilmington pull away.
“We had been struggling coming in, losing our last two league games, so we really needed a victory for team morale and to get us back in the playoff hunt,” Greyhounds coach Mike Jeckavitch said. “We turned it up on defense in the second quarter and we got some easy points — layups and transition points. We stayed in a man-to-man defense and we just started clamping down a little more — not allowing dribble penetration or second-shot opportunities.”
Pace also had a team-high 12 rebounds for the Greyhounds (2-2, 6-8). Anthony Derrick was the catalyst for the offense, Jeckavitch said. He recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists. Jeckavitch said the Mustangs were forced to switch from a 2-3 zone to man-to-man defense, and Derrick took advantage.
“Derrick really took control,” he said. “He was able to beat his guy off the dribble a number of times and set other guys up for 3-pointers. His penetration really opened up the entire floor for everyone else.”
Curtis Bretz scored 10 for Wilmington, including three 3-pointers.