By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer | garrett@thewoodrufftimes.com
The Woodruff boys’ basketball team put on a clinic in front of the home fans Tuesday night, dismantling Walhalla 66-28 in the first round of the 3A play-offs.
The Wolverines led wire to wire, built an 18-3 lead after one quarter, and at one point in the first half led 31-3 in a thoroughly dominating effort.
Junior big man Grayson Patterson started the scoring with two free throws, followed right behind by consecutive three-pointers by Hunter West and T.J. Morris, respectively, and the rout was on. The Razorbacks had little answer for the Wolverines’ speed and physicality, with Woodruff forcing numerous turnovers, which they converted to easy points on the other end of the court.
Woodruff took a 38-13 lead into halftime and a 49-23 margin into the fourth quarter. The Wolverines outscored the Razorbacks 17-5 in the final period. Sophomore Aiden Gibson provided one of the best highlights of the evening in the decisive fourth quarter with a steal and one-handed slam dunk that brought the Wolverines’ faithful to their feet in a raucous roar.
It was also an equal opportunity beatdown by Woodruff.
All 12 players on the roster scored, but nobody scored in double figures, a stunning stat given the 66 points the Wolverines put on the scoreboard. Patterson and senior John Carter Murphy led the way with nine points each. Dre Jenkins added eight, and Jackson McCarley contributed seven points, eight rebounds, and three steals in the best game of the season for the junior forward.
Woodruff outrebounded Walhalla 39-32 and recorded 18 steals.
Author: Tracy Sanders
