The WCA boys basketball team trailed Crosby by 10 points with 5:47 left to play in the fourth quarter of their Saturday afternoon clash at WCA.
The Bulldogs had been in control for much of the game, but the Spartans took over in that final 5:47. WCA outscored Crosby by 16 points and claimed a big 82-76 win. The Spartans improved to 9-7 while the Bulldogs fell to 13-4.
Zaire Lott struck for a game-high 29 points to lead WCA. He scored 18 of those points in the fourth quarter, including a 3-point barrage that Crosby didn’t have an answer for. Jason Canady scored 19 points while Sonny Pierce added 15 points. Pierce had six steals and five assists while Andrew Williams added five assists. Carlos Calle played big inside with 10 rebounds. The Spartans scored 31 points in the fourth quarter, 29 of them over the final 5:47.
For Crosby, Jonathan Rivera had a team-high 28 points. Chris Spears hit for 15 points while Jason Robinson chipped in 13 points.
Rivera’s 3-point play gave the Bulldogs a 63-53 lead with 5:47 left in the second quarter. Lott provided an immediate response with a 3-pointer to make the score 63-56. Lott’s trey, and a full-court press by the Spartans, ignited an 18-2 run. Williams had a steal and layup to make the score 63-58. When Williams missed on a drive, Calle was there for the putback to cut the deficit to 63-60. Pierce found Calle on a fast break to get the Spartans to within 63-62 with 3:47 to play. Crosby got a Spears layup off a Rivera assist to go up 65-62, but Lott drained back-to-back 3-pointers for a 68-65 WCA lead with 3:14 to go. Pierce’s 3-pointer off great ball movement from Williams and Calle made the score 71-65 in favor of the Spartans at the 2:06 mark. Spears cut the Bulldog deficit in half with a 3-pointer, 71-68, and the visitors called time with 1:58 to go.
Rivera made a great block on Pierce, but Williams was there under the hoop for a layup to make the score 73-68. Rivera found DJ Melendez for a layup to cut the deficit to 73-70 with 1:35 on the clock. When Williams penetrated and passed to the right corner, Lott connected on his fourth 3-pointer of the quarter for a 76-70 lead. WCA’s lead was as high as 78-71 with 57.1 seconds left, but Crosby pulled within three points, 79-76, on Andre Arrington’s 3-pointer with 34.5 seconds left. Canady made three of four free throws, however, to seal the win for the Spartans.
WCA is on the road at Watertown and Wolcott on Monday and Wednesday before returning home for a Saturday home game against St. Paul.
Crosby, which has lost two straight tough games, is home against Kennedy and Wolcott on Tuesday and Thursday.
Photo caption: The WCA boys basketball team scored 31 fourth quarter points in an 82-76 comeback win over Crosby on Saturday afternoon. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69, 2021 file)
