Here are five takeaways from Westminster Christian’s 74-51 victory over Archbishop Carroll.
1. James Henderson is a dominant paint presence.
Henderson led the team in scoring with 13 points. Much of his dominance, however, is not shown on the stat sheet, as he enables Westminster Christian’s shooters to have open looks. This is due to him always occupying two defenders as he is a threat to rebound, pass and score. Henderson credits the win to “great coaching, going by the scouting report, sticking to our defensive responsibilities.” He commended the great knockdown shooting that allowed Westminster to pull away from Archbishop Carroll. In terms of mental preparation, Henderson said: “I like to try to keep it simple, play the game I love.”
2. Westminster shares the ball at an elite level.
The team had a total of 24 assists in their victory. They always seemed to find the open man, especially when Carroll was playing full court press. They were also able to limit turnovers and frustrate the opposing players by consistently finding quality shots. Their unselfishness will be key, especially if teams choose to key in on the Warriors’ big-man Henderson.
3. Micah Bell, the new kid in town, had a quiet night.
Bell transferred to Archbishop Carroll from Chapel Hill (Ga.). The Westminster defense was able to neutralize him through great rebounding and strong ball pressure. Westminster started the game on a 10-0 run and never looked back. Despite Bell and his team’s efforts, Westminster was able to open up a 35 point lead to trigger the “running clock” midway through the third quarter.
4.Westminster Christian has shooters.
Sal Stewart, Danny Fernandez and Christian Munilla shined in this game. Stewart, coming off a 19 point performance against Columbus, scored 11 points. This trio of shooters was crucial in building the lead and was ultimately too large of an obstacle to overcome for Archbishop Carroll.
5. Westminster Christian will continue to be a legitimate contender.
Westminster’s blowout win over Columbus was no fluke, as they repeated against a highly touted Archbishop Carroll team. In Westminster’s first two games, they have defeated their opponents by a combined 50 points.
