An alley-oop from Brian Griffith to Ji Webb was the highlight play of a standout night for the sophomore duo, as they led Owensboro Catholic to a 72-52 home win over Apollo in 9th District boys’ basketball action Friday night.
Griffith was a catalyst for the Aces’ offense, finishing with three 3-pointers and a game-high 27 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Webb added a pair of dunks and 11 points to go along with eight rebounds.
Though it was a slow first few minutes for Catholic (3-1) Griffith scored nine points as they went on a scoring spree for a 17-11 lead after the first quarter. Apollo (0-4) simply couldn’t keep up with the quick pace the rest of the way.
“We want to get out and go,” said Aces head coach Tim Riley. “We want to get some stops and get some rebounds, and we want to go get those easy baskets.”
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For a full photo gallery from the game, click here.
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Webb’s dunk off the lob from Griffith gave the Aces their first double-digit lead, and they stretched it to 37-24 at the half.
Riley was hoping to put the game away early in the second half, but Catholic again had a sluggish few minutes before getting back in rhythm.
“Sometimes with a young team it’s hard to get a flow going, get everybody where they are supposed to go,” he said. “We came out and they stopped us. All of sudden they make a couple shots and hang around.”
Griffith added 13 second-half points, leading a versatile attack that featured scoring from seven other players.
“He’s a tremendous little player,” Riley said. “With the ball, he is one of the fastest dudes I’ve coached.”
Leading 51-36 heading into the final period, Catholic started on a 6-0 run to finally put the game out of reach.
Apollo’s scoring effort was led by 14 points from Ryan Ash, while Malik Wilson and Dan St. Claire added nine each.
Both teams will be in action Saturday at the Sportscenter in the Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn River City Roundup. Owensboro Catholic plays John Hardin 3 p.m., while Apollo plays Forest Park (Ind.) at 5 p.m.
BOX SCORE
AHS 11-13-12-16–52
OCHS 17-20-14-21–72
AHS (52): Ryan Ash 14, Malik Wilson 9, Dan St. Claire 9, Landon Hamilton 6, Evan Deaton 4, Harrison Bowman 3, Beau Barker 3, Eric Smith 2, Logan Weedman 1, Cameron Frantz 1
Owensboro Catholic (72): Brian Griffith 27, Ji Webb 11, Gray Weaver 9, Andrew Riney 8, Luke Scales 6, Sam McFarland 5, Everett Munsey 3, Drew Hartz 2, Logan Jones 1
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