Wilson boys hang on to take down city rival Foss, 81-80
On senior night at Wilson High School, Rams guard David Jenkins Jr. had a senior moment.
Not a senior moment in which a person forgets. It was a senior moment of wisdom, in which one uses his experience to take advantage of a youthful opponent.
Jenkins raced down the floor and scooped in the winning lay-up with 8 seconds remaining to give Wilson an 81-80 victory against city rival Foss.
The go-ahead basket was scored while Foss players were still giddy about having just scored their own go-ahead basket, when Donald Scott found Roberto Gittens for an easy bucket to give Foss a one-point lead.
“I knew when they scored they were going to be hyped,” Jenkins said. “I’ve watched video and I’ve seen when a person hits the (go-ahead shot) and there is more time left, they usually get so hyped they’re not getting back on defense.”
That bit of knowledge — to attack during a moment of weakness — proved to be the difference.
“When they scored, I went right back out and they didn’t have too many defenders back,” said Jenkins. “They only had one; it was an iso by myself, so I knew I could get the bucket.”
Foss — which overcame an 11-point fourth quarter deficit to take its first lead of the game with three minutes left — still had a chance to hit a game-winning shot. But sophomore Demetrius Crosby’s 3-point attempt missed off the back iron and Wilson held on.
Jenkins scored 30 points to lead the Rams, while Emmitt Mathews Jr. added 18.
Wilson (15-3, 11-1) remains one game behind first-place Lincoln. Wilson plays at Lincoln at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
It looked like Wilson was going to coast to a fairly easy win. The Rams built a nine-point lead in the first quarter, held it there and went into halftime with an 11-point advantage.
Scott scored eight consecutive Foss points early in the third quarter to tighten up the game, but when Jenkins nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer Wilson was back up by 10 at the end of the quarter.
The junior Scott scored 22 points to lead Foss, but it was a pair of 3-pointers by Le’zjon Bonds and some key buckets by Gittens that spurred the Falcons in the fourth quarter.
Gittens scored 21 points and Bonds had 17 for the Falcons, who have only one senior (Jacopo Belli) on the roster.
Foss (11-7, 8-4) has a secure hold on third place in Class 3A Narrows.
This story was originally published January 29, 2016 at 10:52 PM with the headline "Wilson boys hang on to take down city rival Foss, 81-80."