Barbee drops 31, Franklin Pierce swarms Clover Park for eighth straight win
It’s becoming abundantly clear: Among its 2A SPSL rivals, Franklin Pierce resides in a class of its own.
Swarming defense, high-octane offense, lightning fast in transition — and all of it starts with Cardinals star Javon Barbee, the state’s third-leading scorer.
The 6-foot-4 senior guard pulled up from downtown and drilled a triple just 13 seconds into regulation Tuesday night, kick-starting a 31-point show at Clover Park High School. The unquestioned engine and game’s best player created and converted beyond the arc, in the midrange and at the rim despite constant double- and triple-teams.
For Barbee? Just another day at the office.
“He’s pretty versatile,” Cardinals head coach said John Barbee, also Javon’s Dad. “It’s a luxury to have a player like that who can score inside, outside, in transition. I thought he played really well tonight.”
It’s not that teams aren’t trying to stop him — they can’t. The younger Barbee dropped a game-high 31 points, Franklin Pierce’s defense suffocated Clover Park in the opening minutes, and the Cardinals preserved their lead for a 79-59 win in Lakewood, the program’s eighth straight.
That’s eight games for Barbee with at least 30 points this season, too.
“We’re really starting to play well together,” John Barbee said. “We’re starting to trust each other, believe in each other, and we’re starting to make plays sharing the ball. A sign of a good team (are) teams that share the ball and trust each other, and I think we’re right there.”
A matchup between the 2A SPSL’s top teams, Franklin Pierce’s defense made life impossible for the host Timberwolves early on and ballooned the lead to 30-8 by the second quarter. The Cardinals were longer, stronger and physically imposing in the paint, enough to push Clover Park’s primary attack to the perimeter.
“We’re super lanky,” Javon Barbee said. “So we’re using that to our advantage, making them throw lollipop passes so our guys can get them.”
Barbee’s breakaway dunk in transition put him over the 30-point mark in the fourth quarter; Cardinals wing Hakeen Collins added 19 points and slammed home an emphatic alley-oop amid another late scoring spurt.
“(Javon’s) the main guy I feed off of,” Collins said. “If he’s in the game, it’s just easier to play.”
Barbee smiled. “There’s also that off-court connection, too,” he added. “Like, this is my brother at the end of the day. I’ve got his back on and off the court. When he goes, I go.”
Clover Park didn’t go quietly. Junior guard I John Taylor sparked momentum in the second quarter with a three-point frenzy, single-handedly bringing the Timberwolves back to life. Franklin Pierce controlled a 41-30 lead at halftime, just half of their largest lead from minutes before.
“There was that little lull,” John Barbee said. “But that’s Clover Park. They’re gonna make a run at us. Well-coached, disciplined.”
Franklin Pierce (12-3, 9-0) remains undefeated in SPSL play, now five wins away from an undefeated regular season title. Clover Park’s (7-7, 7-2) only league losses? Both at the hands of these Cardinals.
Timberwolves wing Marshall Scott caught fire in the second half and dropped a team-high 16 points. Taylor added 15 points on five treys, accounting for half of Clover Park’s 10 triples.
Franklin Pierce’s Lamel Brim scored nine points; Cardinals junior Zeke Isaacson added four.
“On the court, we’re all close,” Javon Barbee said. “Off the court, we’re the same way. Some teams (fake) it on the court, and off the court, they don’t really like each other. It’s not like that with us. We’re all a family here, and we’re all a community.”
BOX SCORE
FP: 25-16-20-18—79
CP: 8-22-17-12—59
Scoring: (FP) Barbee 31, Collins 19, Brim 9; (CP) Scott 16, Taylor 15
