Imhotep Charter (Pa.) cruises past Christ the King (Pa.) in Beach Ball opener
No detail is too small to be ignored.
Such proved particularly true for Imhotep Charter (Pa.), as every dribble, shot and lay-up was under the watchful eye of coaches during pre-game warmups. Practice believed to be a mere dress rehearsal for when the bright lights are on, the expectation is for the team to be at its best when the game actually does count.
The attention to detail sure paid off for the squad in its Beach Ball Classic opener, the Panthers dismantling Christ the King (N.Y.) by a score of 73-34 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.
Imhotep Charter rarely trailed in the game, leading at one point by 39 points. For a team that came in as one of the tournament favorites, such an effort was exactly what the doctor ordered.
“I really think we came out and defended really well, which against a team like Christ the King is a tough thing to do,” said Imhotep Charter coach Andre Noble. “Our defense leads to our running game, and our running game is really hard to guard because we have guys that can shoot and guys that can penetrate to the rim. … We were concerned about our rebounding and defending their big guy, so being able to do that certainly was a good thing for us.”
An 18-3 run midway through the first half effectively put the game away, the Panthers shooting better than 50 percent from the field in the opening stanza.
As for Christ the King, it was a frustrating night all around.
The Royals wound up making less than 19 percent of their shots. Only two players scored more than one bucket, with the majority of the team’s production coming courtesy of guard Jose Alvarado, who had 21 points on 7-of-24 shooting.
“Simply put, they put the ball in the basket, and we didn’t,” said Christ the King coach Joseph Arbitello. “Imhotep wasn’t going to stop. They’re from Philly … they’re well coached. But our guys, once they felt the game was over they didn’t compete after that.”
Ten Imhotep Charter players scored in the game, led by South Carolina commit David Beatty, who had 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Also chipping in was Jamil Riggins with 15 points.
The win for the Panthers sets up the potential for quite the clash in the second round with perennial powerhouse Bishop Gorman.
“This is an outstanding tournament, and the hospitality of (the Beach Ball Classic) has been amazing. And best of all, we get to see where we are against top competition,” Noble said. “We like to think of ourselves in the company of those elite teams nationally. So we’re thankful to the folks at Beach Ball for inviting us and giving the chance to see where we stack up.”
IC (73): David Beatty 16, Daron Russell 13, Chereef Knox 2, Bernard Lightsey 11, Donta Scott 7, Fatayn Wesley 4, Davonte Canty 1, Amear Johnson 2, Jhyee Williams 2, Jamil Riggins 15.
CTK (34): Tyson Walker 5, Jose Alvarado 21, Kofi Cockburn 2, Phillips Joseph 1, Joshua Hodge 2, Jaylen Davis 3.
Halftime: IC 40-19. 3-pointers: IC 11 (Beatty, Russell 3, Lightsey 3, Scott, Riggins 3), CTK 3 (Walker, Alvarado, Davis). Team fouls: IC 17, CTK 16. Technical fouls: None
Records: IC 5-1, CTK 4-3
Joe L. Hughes II: 843-444-1702, @thejournalist44
This story was originally published December 27, 2016 at 9:46 PM with the headline "Imhotep Charter (Pa.) cruises past Christ the King (Pa.) in Beach Ball opener."