Shut- down defense puts Trojans on top

A game- in, game- out emphasis on defense paid off when Hot Springs needed it most.

Burned by Ben Marcus for 10 first- quarter points, the Trojans shut down the Watson Chapel forward and the rest of the Wildcats during a second- half surge Wednesday night. A 49- 43 win moved Hot Springs atop the 5A- South standings.

Hot Springs, 12- 7 overall and 7- 1 in league play going into tonight’s game at third- place Camden Fairview, held Watson Chapel ( 16- 5, 8- 2) scoreless for six minutes while turning a three- point deficit into a nine- point lead. The Wildcats were 3 for 18 from the field after halftime until hitting their last two shots.

“We played very disciplined,” Trojan coach Rodney Echols said. “They’re very athletic. We knew with their size we were going to have matchup problems. We stressed a lot about defense winning the ballgame for us. My kids stepped up in the second half. “

Sophomore point guard Trey Lenox made two the biggest defensive plays, steals leading to a Kajuan Christon layup and a Lenox three- point play for a 40- 32 lead. A Quindell Smith free throw made it 41- 32, and Hot Springs led by no closer than six the

rest of the game.

Lenox had not played since injuring a knee early in a Jan. 28 win at Lakeside. The Trojans’ season leading scorer had no points through three quarters, but spearheaded a defense that held Watson Chaple to 14- for- 44 shooting ( 31.8 percent).

“With Lenox, we wanted him to get into the flow of the ballgame,” Echols said. “He had two and a half weeks off. That allowed that knee to heal a little bit and get stronger. He managed the ballgame for us. He didn’t turn the ball over, and played great defense.”

Christon filled the scoring game, finishing with 19 points after two clutch fourth- quarter baskets — and driving bank shot in the lane for a 45- 36 lead and three- pointer for 49- 39. He went 7 for 13 from the field.

“Kajaun stepped up,” Echols said. “He wanted the ball in his hands. … I can’t ask anything more from him. He was hitting on all cylinders — defense, rebounding, getting to the basket. He led us tonight.”

His five rebounds helped Hot Springs control the backboards 34- 30. Darnell Underwood led Hot Springs with six, Jeremy Blackmon and Clarence Floyd also getting five and Jaquan Counts four.

“All year long you’ve heard me stress us doing things collectively,” Echols said. “A plus rebounding edge with nobody getting more than six is a great accomplishment.”

Blackmon and Floyd each had seven points, and Smith and Underwood five each.

“I felt like we beat them in transition,” Echols said. “That led us to get some easy baskets and get to the free- throw line.”

Marcus finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds, drawing special praise from Echols, an assistant at Watson Chapel before coming to Hot Springs before last season.

“Ben is a heck of a ballplayer, and a student- athlete. We reach about being a student- athlete, and he exemplifies that,” Echols said.

After playing Fairview, the Trojans start a stretch of three games in four days Tuesday at home against Lakeside.

“We were pumped for tonight,” Echols said. “With a tough road game coming up Friday, we wanted to make a statement at the house. We made a statement in the second half

“I feel good about where we’re at. It’s just about taking care of business and continuing to improve every day.”

*** The Lady Trojans tightened their conference stranglehold, coasting 61- 39 behind all- around outstanding games by juniors Tiaunna Watklins and Jasmine Lenox.

Watkins scored 22 points — 12 in the second quarter — and had eight steals and seven rebounds. Lenox added 11 points, nine in the first half — Hot Springs ( 14- 5, 8- 0 in conference) led 36- 16 at intermission — and grabbed a game- high eight rebounds.

“Jasmine makes up for her lack of size with her positioning and blocking out,” Upshaw said. “Jasmine is one of those kids that does everything right. She goes where she’s supposed to be. She does things you don’t notice because of her ( lack of) size.”

En route to their 13th- straight victory, the Lady Trojans wavered only when Watson Chapel closed to 43- 30 in the third quarter. Berniezha Tidwell’s layups off consecutive steals put Hot Springs back in control, its margin reaching 61- 37 on another Tidwell steal and layup.

Tidwell had 15 points despite sitting out part of the fourth quarter after drawing a technical foul.

“We went back and did some things we had cut out early in the season,” Upshaw said. “I’m tickled to death to be 8- 0. … We’ve got some things to address. Work has already started on that.”