FB Marshall can’t get over hump
KATY — Junior forward E’Torrian Wilridge scored from the low post, high post, free-throw line and even took Fort Bend Marshall defenders off the dribble.
Wilridge’s 22 points and crucial assist helped propel Beaumont Central to a 67-57 victory in the Class 4A Region III final at the Merrell Center.
The victory earns the Jaguars (31-4) a trip to Austin’s Erwin Center for the state tournament.
“This is just part of it right here,” Central coach Robert Lee said. “We’re going to enjoy this one, but we want the state championship, and that’s been our goal since day one.
“We’re going back to the drawing board to do what it takes to bring a state championship back to Beaumont.”
Though Central never trailed, Marshall (28-8) cut a one-time doubledigit deficit to three points twice in the final four minutes.
Wilridge takes charge
But clutch free-throw shooting — the Jaguars went 8-for-11 from the stripe in the final six minutes — and big plays by Wilridge kept the Buffaloes from getting any closer.
After Marshall senior guard D.J. Day snagged a tough rebound and finished in traffic to slice Beaumont’s lead to 51-48, Wilridge was fouled on a drive to the hoop and hit two free throws with four minutes to play.
Later, Wilridge finished around the rim despite contact and on the following possession found teammate André Morris for the bucket to give the Jaguars a nine-point lead and put the game out of reach.
“We just kept our composure,” said Wilridge. “We knew they were going to make a run at us. We weathered the storm and came out with a win.”
The Jaguars took control of the game early, forged a 15-11 first-quarter lead and kept the Buffaloes from converting a shot during the game’s opening four minutes.
Central used its big bodies to control the lane by blocking and altering shots, and employed tight defense to force turnovers in padding its lead to 3625 by halftime.
Marshall got back into the game during the second half by attacking the basket with its quick guards and getting Central into the double bonus late in the third quarter. Coach Gary Nichols said attacking the rim was the plan from the get-go.
“We were trying to attack the basket earlier, (but) guys just weren’t attacking,” Nichols said. “That was our game plan.”
‘Not end of the world’
Though Marshall lost, Nichols said his team learned a valuable life lesson.
“Just because you set a goal doesn’t mean you’re not going to always get to it,” he said. “Even if you work as hard as you (can), you still might not get to it.
“I told them when they go home they’re still going to have those chores that you had to do, and Monday, if you had homework, you’re still going to have that, too. It’s not the end of the world; there are a lot worse things than this.”