By Dylan Branscome
November 20, 2024 – The Davidson-Davie STORM cruise to victory, 94-70, over Division III JUCO opponent, the Patrick & Henry Patriots, on Wednesday night at Brinkley Gym, behind an impressive 30-point performance from Lamonte Cousar.
The first half was quick, back-and-forth action from both teams. Davidson-Davie’s traps and jumping into passing lanes forced turnovers early, causing many open layups and shots. The first fifteen minutes of the half were also clean defensively for both teams with few fouls being called.
The STORM did a fantastic job guarding the three-pointer, especially against the Patriots who average shooting 25 threes a game. They shot 2/11 in the first half, and then 3/11 in the second half, making for a total percentage of 22.7% for the game. Davidson-Davie, on the other hand, shot an efficient 46.2% from behind the arc, even if they only shot 13. Out of the six threes made, Dane Stewart made all three of his own attempts.
Even after a dominant half from the STORM, a sloppy final two minutes made a comfortable lead an 11-point lead before the half. When asked about the final possessions for Davidson-Davie, head coach Matt Ridge said “it was awful”. “Back-to-back turnovers, terrible shot selection… just not very smart and intelligent”.
The STORM came out stronger and more intelligent in the second half, starting out on a 9-0 run in two and a half minutes. The strong start was interrupted by a 7-0 run from the Patriots due to Davidson missing multiple layups. P&H was able to stay within striking distance for a while, due to forcing turnovers and Davidson not being able to shoot well from the free-throw line (52.9% for the half).
The missed layups started to disappear, however, as Cousar’s dominant performance continued. He had 16 in the first half and continued to score consistently with 14 in the second. He even had a couple of highlight reel dunks to truly cement his superior playing over the Patriots. “He’s a heck of a talent, a big-time player,” Coach Ridge said about Cousar in a post-game interview. “He has a bright future if he continues to work, stays humble, and just keeps working”.
Behind shooting 59% in the second half, out-rebounding the Patriots 47-32, and forcing 20 turnovers, the STORM was able to get a substantial victory over Patrick & Henry, improving to 6-0 on the season.
The Davidson-Davie STORM return to action against a conference opponent, the Central Carolina Cougars, at Brinkley Gym on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 3:00 PM EST.