Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Fourth Gear
Warren, Hardin come up big in final quarter as D-West beats Coatesville
CALN » The Downingtown West boys basketball team needed a win in the worst way.
after two tough losses in the last four days, the Whippets found themselves trailing on the road at Ross Kershey Gymnasium Tuesday night, and it seemed like it would be another tough night.
But those final eight minutes helped lift West’s spirits, as Downingtown West outscored the host Red Raiders, 16-8, in the final frame to pull off a huge, 43-40, win in a key Ches-Mont League National Division clash.
Downingtown West (2-2 ChesMont, 2-2 overall) shot a torrid six for eight from the field in the fourth quarter and got a huge seven points off the bench from Cooper Hardin. When 6-foot-9 whippet center Jake Warren hit two free throws with eight seconds to play, all that was left was for the Red Raiders to try a desperate three. The shot went off the rim and the Whippets had a very big Ches-Mont National victory.
“We turned up the defense a little in the second half and that has been our focus the past couple of meetings,” said Downingtown West coach Stu Ross. “We know that defense travels and we have to play like that. And Jake had a big game on the defensive backboard and we expect those kind of performances from Jake. We need him to be that good.”
Warren was very good for the Whippets, as the Archbishop Carroll transfer scored a game-high 13 points to go along with a big 14-rebound game. Warren also had to defend Red Raiders big man Jaylin McNeil, and he talked about going to the foul line in a pressure situation.
“We inbounded the ball and the play was for me to flash,” Warren said. “And I got fouled and I love those situations, to be going to the line with the game in the balance. It was little different with not a lot of fans here, but I was glad I was on the line. Our defense was better in the second half and it was not just me. It was all the guys dropping back and doing their jobs. It was a total team effort tonight and we really needed this win after the last couple of rough games.”
Coatesville jumped out to a 26-20 lead at halftime as the Red Raiders shot a hot 10 for 20 from the field. McNeil, who led Coatesville with 12 points, and Zaire Harley, who dropped eight points, scored inside and outside for the Red Raiders. Coatesville just seemed a step quicker than the Whippets in the first half.
But Coatesville shot just six for 19 in the second half and the Whippets clawed their way back in the game early in the fourth quarter. After Dylan Blair scored on a follow to bring Downingtown West to within 32-29, Harden drained a three and scored two more baskets, and all of a sudden Downingtown West had forged a 39-32 lead
But the Red Raiders came back to score the next six points, and when Jeremiah Marshall scored in the lane, it was a slim 3938 Whippet lead with just 1:59 to play. Warren scored in tight to make it 41-38, but McNeil answered right back for the Red Raiders and it was a 41-40 Whippet lead with just 45 seconds to play.
Downingtown West had control of the ball, but on a drive to the basket, Blair was called for traveling and the Red Raiders had the ball back with 25 seconds to play, down by one point. Coatesville worked the ball around, and then the Red Raiders were called for a moving screen with 12 seconds to play. That set up Warren to be fouled, and he hit both free throws for the big comeback win.
“I think fatigue played a factor for us tonight,” Coatesville coach Marc Turner said. “We were missing a few of our guys and that hurt us but I thought our kids played together and I was very proud of the effort.”